The Music Lives On!
by Kirino
Summary: HTT minus Azusa have graduated, but their bond remains strong as ever. Mugi, however, is sent to Lillian University by her father. Yuri, YuiAzu, Mitsu, Mugi/Sawako. Season 2 continuation fic, slight AU, slight Marimite crossover.
1. Accidental Damper

_Hello people, this is my first time writing for the K-ON! fandom! With the ending of the manga and practically speaking, the anime, this is my first attempt at a continuation story. It won't be as light and as fluffy as what we're all accustomed to, though._

_I'm currently juggling this story with another one, but if this story gets appreciation, I might postpone the other story in favor of this one._

_Onto the first chapter!_

/

**Accidental Damper**

"…**Fuwa fuwa time!**_"_

Nodoka and Sawako looked on with approval, applauding the five girls on their last performance as members of the Sakura High Light Music club. Nodoka remembered the days two years ago, when she and Yui were mere freshmen in Sakura High School, the days when Yui picked up guitar due to the Light Music Club.

"_She's come so far since then," _mused Nodoka peacefully.

"Good job guys, you've held up really well for this past year," remarked Sawako, a note of pride in her voice.

At that moment, Sawako felt like the proudest _sensei_ in the school, wryly noting that she felt more proud of them as a band than as students. In the end though, it didn't matter since she guided them in both paths during their high school lives.

"We're indebted to you, _sensei_," said Mio, as she began packing away her Fender (which she'd named Elizabeth recently) in its guitar case. "Without your help, we never would've gotten to where we are right now."

"In the end, Sawa-chan, we owe you bigtime," said Ritsu, moving her drums to the corner, ready to be packed for transportation the next day. "Thanks a lot, I guess. I hope we lived up to your expectations."

To everyone's surprise, Ritsu bowed to Sawako, who had a look of shock slapped onto her face at Ritsu's actions.

"Ricchan, I've never seen you do this before!" exclaimed Yui, who moved to the table again with her intentions clear: finish the leftover cake.

"_Senpai_, please don't ruin the moment!" scolded Azusa, who was moving towards Yui with a look of half-amusement on her face.

Azusa had always felt that she was the one taking care of Yui, and not the other way around. Inwardly though, the _kouhai_ knew that she wouldn't have it any other way, sitting down across from Yui who was shoveling cake into her mouth at an alarming rate, leaving a mess of crumbs on the table that they had just cleaned.

"Aaaah Azu-nyan, why do you always do this to meeeeee…" pouted Yui, downing a cup of lukewarm Earl Grey to wash down the large spoonful of cake she had just eaten.

Without any kind of warning whatsoever, Sawako burst into laughter, laughter that exuded more mirth than the girls had ever seen her experience.

"Er, Sawa-chan, are you okay?" inquired Mugi.

"I never thought I'd see the day that Tainaka Ritsu would act polite in school without being forced to do so," choked Sawako, tears running down her face.

"All of us are grateful to you, Sawako-_sensei_," quipped Nodoka. "Your guidance was of much help to my duties as the _seitokaichou_ this year."

"I'm glad that I was able to leave such a wonderful impression on the first set of students I'd administered as a homeroom teacher," said Sawako, pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket to wipe her face with.

"Besides, I'm really happy that I can brag that my homeroom teacher is one badass awesome guitarist," said Mugi happily.

At that comment, Sawako choked but luckily, she was able to pass it off as a raspy cough. Mio, Nodoka, Ritsu, and Mugi all looked on with concern at their teacher, while Yui and Azusa were oblivious to the whole situation, arguing about whether or not Ton-chan should be fed at 4 pm as opposed to 5 pm to ensure the greatest growth for the soft-shelled turtle.

"Sawako-sensei, are you alright?" asked Mio, concern in her voice.

After another hacking cough, Sawako spoke in a raspy voice,

"I'm fine… just choked on some of my phlegm."

At this, Mio cringed, while Mugi looked on with concern.

"Let me rub your back then, _sensei_. Ricchan, can you tidy up my Korg and put it in the corner beside your drum set please?" said Mugi, moving over quickly to Sawako and helping her lie prone on the couch, with Mio quickly clearing the couch of their bags. Mugi then removed Sawako's glasses and pocketed them, beginning to massage their _sensei's_back.

Yui and Azusa finally noticed what was going on and got up from the table, having left it devoid of the remaining cake that they had left earlier before performing for Azusa.

"What's wrong with Sawa-chan?" asked Yui of Mio in a worried tone.

"She choked on some of her phlegm," replied Mio quietly.

Inwardly, the bassist thought how scary the concept of choking on your own bodily fluids was. She'd be scared of things easily as far as she could remember, and this was a trait of hers that Ritsu _loved_ to exploit to no end, past, present, and probably, future.

"There there, Sawa-chan, this should feel good," said Mugi gently, as she massaged Sawako's back. "My goodness, I can feel the hard knots in your shoulders. I believe you've been working too much lately."

As she was going to reply, Sawako was suddenly blinded by the streaming rays of light that filled the clubroom. The afternoon sun glowed warmly, signaling that nightfall was near. Azusa noticed Sawako's reaction and moved quickly to close the blinds while Mugi continued to rub Sawako's back.

"Er, Sawa-chan, I'm sorry; I totally didn't expect you to react that way," said Ritsu sheepishly.

"It's alright Ricchan," replied Sawako in a gentle voice. "Damn—ah, I shouldn't speak like this in front of you kids! Um, Mugi-chan, you're really good at this… Wherever did you learn how to massage so well?"

Mugi stopped rubbing Sawako's back and placed a finger on her lips, thinking momentarily.

"One of our maids is well versed in massaging, particularly Shiatsu, so I had her teach me a few years ago as a hobby. I loved massaging my Father's back; it was the most time I could spend with him at any given time due to the fact that he's always in meetings with the company CEO," replied Mugi in a cheerful voice, masking the undercurrent of sadness she always experienced due to her father always being busy.

Ever since her mother had died, Mugi's father had devoted himself more to his work to dull the sadness he felt with her passing. He spent less and less time with Mugi, opting to leave her in the care of the family servants, some of whom were only a few years older than Mugi. He had the utmost trust in them, as was the minimum requirement to be a Kotobuki family servant. He wouldn't hesitate to have any of his servants arrested if they did anything inappropriate to his darling Tsumugi.

Despite everything, he still loved Mugi, even if he did spend less and less time with her, since she was living proof that his wife had existed.

These were the thoughts swirling through Mugi's head while she continued to gently massage Sawa-chan's back, thinking wryly that the only advantage she has due to her father being particularly busy was that she didn't have to feel suffocated about being a lesbian, no matter how homophobic he could possibly be. In the end, she'd just worry about something like that later. Her father elected she attend an exclusive university for women, and that there were only women there was the only fringe benefit of her father's choice for her education in business administration.

Deep down, Mugi thought that no one could replace her dearest Sawa-chan. A girl could dream though, and Mugi would continue to dream.

"Hey Nodoka-chan, can you help me and Azu-nyan tidy up the table?" asked Yui in a pleading voice. "I left too many crumbs on the table, and I don't want to depend on Azu-nyan too much."

"No problem, Yui-chan," said Nodoka, who moved over to the table to help the two of them. "Where can I get a dustpan?"

Azusa pointed towards the storage room in the back corner of the clubroom, and as Nodoka opened it, she saw the two cardboard boxes that were still in the room. Hoping that the club members would bring said boxes home tomorrow, she took a small broom and dustpan and headed back to the table.

Mugi then stopped massaging Sawako while Ritsu and Mio were moving the instruments to the corner nearest the board for easy organization. Mugi turned Sawako over and placed her schoolbag on the couch's arm to serve as a pillow for her _sensei_.

"Lie down for a while, Sawa-chan, while I help Mio-chan and Ricchan tidy up the rest of the room," said Mugi, leaving Sawako to rest on the couch, using her schoolbag as a pillow.

Inwardly, Sawako thought about how wonderful it felt to be massaged by Mugi. She felt embarrassed for thinking that she would want so much more of that, and would do anything to get more of the same if it had to cost her her—

Sawako brusquely brushed such thoughts aside.

"_There's no accounting for age difference, though, not to mention that she might not be into girls despite all the signs saying so. Oh well, here's to my closet bisexuality then_,_" _thought Sawako with a sigh.

"Oh Ritsu, you seriously need to take home the crap you've been leaving in here," said Mio when she opened the storage room door. "Blech, it's gotten musty again; we forgot to clean this up yesterday," said Mio, covering her mouth.

"Ehh, we've got until tomorrow to worry about that. I think that we should move the two boxes out though," replied Ritsu, taking Mio's words in stride as per usual.

She'd always thought that Mio would be looking after her, and words couldn't express her happiness at finding out that she would be going to the same university as Mio.

"Oh, Mio-san, I'm glad that you reminded Tainaka-san to take those boxes home. I was going to do it myself, but I felt it would be more appropriate if you did it instead of me," spoke up Nodoka from under the table, picking up some of Yui's cake crumbs while Azusa was lecturing Yui on taking care of her Les Paul's strings.

Mio sighed and turned to Ritsu, who had just finished moving box number two to in front of the couch where Sawako was lying down, legs crossed.

"See Ritsu, even Nodoka thinks that only I can pacify you," said Mio in an exasperated voice.

"That's how we've always been; why change?" said Ritsu cheerfully. "I'm sure that in this whole wide world, only Akiyama Mio could handle me."

At those words, Mio turned away and blushed heavily, realizing the potential double meaning in Ritsu's words. While Ritsu remained oblivious to the turmoil Mio was going through, Yui noticed Mio's red face.

"Mio-chan, are you feeling sick?" asked Yui worriedly, putting a palm on Mio's forehead. "Huh… You're not even hot. Oh well," said Yui happily, moving back to the chair she was sitting on while Azusa moved onto general reminders about being in university.

"…and please, don't forget to consult with your teachers if you don't understand the subject material, okay?" said Azusa, crossing her arms over her chest. "Knowing you, you're going to slack off and just copy off Mio-_senpai's_ work."

"Aah, I'm so happy that Azu-nyan's worried about me!" exclaimed Yui, moving over in one swoop to hug Azusa, who had the usual here-we-go-again look on her face.

She was thinking though, that she should enjoy these hugs while she can, because she won't be getting them anymore in the near future. That being said, to Yui's surprise, Azusa hugged her back and murmured softly,

"Yui-_senpai_, please take care, okay? I won't be around anymore to look after you, so please don't give Mio-_senpai_ a hard time."

"**OBJECTION!** I take offense at being excluded from that statement, Nakano!" exclaimed Ritsu, pointing at Azusa with the ferocity of a savannah wildfire.

"Ritsu-_senpai_, you've been playing too much _Ace Attorney_, haven't you?" Azusa remarked wryly, still hugging Yui.

"Well… yeah, I admit," said Ritsu sheepishly, a hand behind her head. "I blame Satoshi, he was the one that got me into playing those games."

"Oh Azu-nyan, why don't you teach me how to play that game sometime?" said Yui, letting go of Azusa at last.

"Er, well, it's not exactly an easy game, so we'll see about that," replied Azusa dodgily.

"_Yui-_senpai_ playing _Ace Attorney_ is going to be a disaster, I'm sure," _thought Azusa morbidly.

Nodoka stood up from under the table, finished with cleaning Yui's mess.

"I'm all done with cleaning up," said Nodoka. "Yui-chan, are we going home together like you suggested?"

Yui put her fingers under her chin for a moment and thought, then said,

"Is it okay if I go home with Azu-nyan today?"

Nodoka nodded and said, "Sure, Yui-chan. See you, everyone."

"Bye, Nodoka. See you around," said Ritsu.

"Take care, Nodoka," said Mio.

"The same from me," said Mugi.

"Sorry for not helping you, Nodoka-_senpai_," said Azusa, bowing in apology.

At this, Nodoka chuckled and approached Azusa, placing a hand on her head.

"It's okay Azusa-san, I think it's better this way. I'll leave Yui-chan in your care then."

With those words, Nodoka turned around and left, leaving the room in silence save for Sawako's light snores.

"…In the end, I guess we owed Nodoka a lot too," said Ritsu. "All those forms I forgot to fill out, the air-conditioning unit we requested for back during summer, and the whole Founder's Festival thing that she did with Sawa-chan."

Mio, Mugi, Azusa, and Yui all nodded their assent.

"That's Nodoka-chan for you; ever reliable!" said Yui happily, flashing Ritsu a thumbs-up.

Ritsu and Mio laughed at Yui's gesture, and Ritsu said,

"We need more of the same from you, Yui. Let's hope you, me and Mio get into the same general education classes, alright?"

"We should talk about this sometime, so we can make sure we do end up in the same classes," said Mio excitedly.

While the three began to talk about their upcoming university life, Mugi and Azusa were not drawing too much attention to themselves, despite the fact that they were listening with envy.

Mugi realized that she'd be going to university alone, without the other three, and this fact alone caused her much distress and sadness. She could only hope that she could meet nice girls in her university, but deep down inside, they could never replace _Houkago Tea Time_ and especially her beloved Sawa-chan-_sensei_.

As for Azusa, she fully realized the duty she now had to fulfill: as the new President of the Light Music Club, she needed to recruit one more member to enable their club's continuing existence, with both Jun and Ui having pledged their membership earlier that day.

"Dreaming is free, after all. Especially for the things money can't buy," said Mugi solemnly, moving to wake Sawako as night had already fallen.

"Where did that come from Mugi?" asked Mio, curious about her friend's _non-sequitur_ comment.

"I was just musing about a few things I'd leave behind… I figured I already cried enough after the Founder's Festival, so I don't think I'm going to spontaneously break down again," chuckled Mugi.

At that statement, both Mio and Ritsu raised eyebrows while Yui spoke up.

"Don't worry Mugi-chan, we'll make arrangements to meet up on weekends. Sawa-chan and Azu-nyan as well. Maybe even on some schooldays, because Ui told me that sometimes, university students get to go home early."

Mugi nodded and began to gently prod Sawako in the side.

"Sawa-chan-sensei, time to wake up," whispered Mugi in her ears.

Sawako stirred and sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, surveying her surroundings.

"Oh wow, you've tidied things up," she said groggily. "How long was I out? Mugi-chan's massage felt too good."

Mugi smiled radiantly at this and checked her cellphone for the time.

"It's 6:30 pm Sawa-chan."

At this, Sawako lost all trace of sleepiness in her eyes, cursing herself for falling asleep for so long.

"We need to go guys; it's already after hours. Yui, Azusa, Mio, you can leave your instruments here tonight if you wish so you can remove everything tomorrow in a single fell swoop."

The three girls in question nodded, along with Mugi, collected their schoolbags and diplomas, and stepped out of the clubroom, while Azusa was looking fondly at something on the table.

"Azusa-chan, let's go," urged Sawako. "We'll be in big trouble if we get caught by another teacher."

"Alright _sensei_, let me gather the things Yui-_senpai_ gave me," said Azusa softly.

The _kouhai_ gathered her schoolbag, as well as the photo and sakura flower Yui had given her, following Sawako out of the room afterwards.

/

At the entrance gate, Sawako reminded them to come back tomorrow to remove and bring home everything they had brought to the Light Music clubroom.

"Oh no, I nearly forgot to tell you guys what Ui told me to tell you earlier today!" exclaimed Yui out of nowhere.

Ritsu put a palm on her face and chuckled while Yui continued obliviously.

"Um… After we collect our things tomorrow afternoon, Ui and I are inviting you to our house for a _Houkago Tea Time_ graduation party! Um, food and drinks will be served by Ui, since I'm no good at that… But I'm going to improve, since I'm going to live in an apartment near the university."

The rest of them were stunned by Yui's revelation.

"A-are you sure, Yui-_senpai?_ Why did you want to move out?" asked Azusa with a tinge of worry in her voice.

"Yeah Yui, I mean, Mio and I are just going to be living in our homes the same as always, and we're both nearly the same distance you are from university," said Ritsu, curious about Yui's reasons for moving into an apartment to live alone in.

"It's because I can still make it to school easily even if I wake up late!" exclaimed Yui, a look of triumph on her face.

Azusa sighed loudly, not even bothering to mask the sound.

"Yui_-senpai, _are you even prepared to live on your own? I— on second thought, I'll tell you when we've split off from everyone else," said Azusa.

"Keeping secrets from us now, eh Azusa?" smirked Ritsu, a note of playfulness in her voice.

"Ritsu…," scolded Mio. "Good luck to you then, Yui. Make sure to send all of us your address, alright?"

Yui nodded, when Mugi spoke up.

"Sawa-chan-_sensei_, can you give me a ride home tonight? If it's not too much trouble?"

Sawako looked surprised at Mugi's request, but decided to ultimately acquiesce to it. _"It's not like I'm going to do anything, anyway."_

"Sure, Mugi-chan, no problem. I'd like to feel amazed at seeing your large house anyway," said Sawako.

Her objective accomplished, Mugi waved to the other four girls and went with Sawako to the parking lot where her smart car was parked.

"I sense a disturbance in the Force," said Ritsu, prodding her temples with her index fingers, looking intently towards the direction where Mugi and Sawako were headed.

"Cut it out Ritsu," said Mio in a disapproving voice. "You know how Mugi can get sometimes…"

"Yeah, I know what you mean, Mio," said Ritsu in a thoughtful manner, while the four girls started to walk in the opposite direction towards the pedestrian lane where Yui and Azusa would split off from the two of them.

"Really Ritsu? I'm surprised that you understand how Mugi can ask weird requests of people."

Without warning, Ritsu stopped walking while the three girls continued, and after a short while, they noticed that Ritsu had fallen behind them, stationary.

"Ritsu…?" asked Mio tentatively, unsure as to why her best friend had stopped walking all of a sudden.

Ritsu suddenly pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her school bag, crossed her arms and suddenly bellowed with all her might,

"**OF COURSE I UNDERSTAND MUGI! GO BEYOND THE IMPOSSIBLE AND KICK REASON TO THE CURB! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM!**"

"Shh! Ritsu, you're going to disturb the entire neighborhood," hissed Mio in frustration as Ritsu pocketed the pair of sunglasses.

"Ritsu-_senpai_, you clearly have watched too much mecha anime[1]," sighed Azusa, raising her arms in a "what-did-I-expect" manner.

"But Azu-nyan also knows what Ricchan was talking about," cooed Yui, moving her face inches in front of Azusa's.

"Ack! Yui-_senpai_, your face is too close!" exclaimed Azusa in surprise, stumbling over her own feet as she instinctively stepped backwards.

Everything seemed like it was in slow motion as Azusa fell: she grabbed onto Yui's uniform, while Mio made to grab Yui's arm but got there a second too late, as Yui toppled on top of Azusa, who screamed in pain as she hit the concrete pavement with a thud.

"Azusa!" exclaimed both Ritsu and Mio, who both rushed towards the fallen _kouhai_ as Yui rolled off of her. "Are you alright?" asked Ritsu in a dead serious manner, completely unlike her normal demeanor. "That was a nasty fall you just had; Mio, can you check if Azusa sprained or broke anything?"

"Azusa, don't move," said Mio in a commanding tone. "I'm going to gently touch your arms and legs, your side, and then your back. Tell me if anything hurts, okay?"

Azusa nodded wordlessly as Mio began her inspection, while Yui, recovering from her fall, looked over at Azusa who lay motionless and spread-eagled on the ground.

"Oh my god, Azu-nyan, are you okay! I'm so sorry!" shouted Yui with alarm as she sat on the ground, massaging her knees which felt like shards of glass were run across them. "Ouch…"

"Yui, are you okay?" asked Ritsu, kneeling down beside the guitarist, who was gingerly holding both of her knees.

"I'm fine; Azu-nyan is more important than I am," said Yui breathlessly. "Owwie…"

"But your knees are bleeding," said Ritsu worriedly.

The silence was broken by Azusa who yelped in pain when Mio had moved her into a sitting position and applied light pressure to her back. Mio helped Azusa up gingerly, while Ritsu did the same for Yui.

"Azusa, your back is bruised. You need a cold compress as soon as possible to minimize the swelling and pain. I suggest taking mefenamic acid or ibuprofen to ease the pain that may ensue," said Mio in a professional manner.

"That's Doctor Akiyama for you," stated Ritsu proudly. "Good thing you're taking Physical Therapy for your pre-medical degree; you know exactly what you were doing just now."

Mio blushed at that comment, and was thankful that the dark didn't reveal that fact to the other three girls.

"You'll have to overcome your fear of blood and other such things first though," commented Ritsu wryly. "Hey, Yui?"

"Taxi!" shouted Yui, who had separated herself from Ritsu's helping hand, flagging down a passing taxi.

The taxi stopped in front of them and Yui opened the door, gesturing to Mio and Ritsu to gently carry Azusa into the backseat. After that was done, Yui bid both of them quick, curt goodbyes and got into the backseat, issuing directions to the driver that would take them both to the Hirasawa residence.

"Yui-_senpai_, why are you taking me to your house?" murmured Azusa, whose head was resting on Yui's lap.

"It's because it was my fault that you got hurt, Azu-nyan," mumbled Yui, unwilling to look at the face of the _kouhai_ on her lap, afraid to see disappointment, hurt and anger on her face.

Azusa heavily raised her left arm and gently grabbed Yui's left hand. Yui jerked at the contact and nearly looked at Azusa's face, but fear prevailed and she continued to look forward stoically.

"It's okay, Yui-_senpai_. I'm okay; I'll just ask Ui to get me a cold compress and medicine if you guys have any. If anything, the fact that you took these steps to take care of me is enough," said Azusa softly, gently squeezing Yui's hand.

Yui could only look forward guiltily, silent as a statue as the taxi brought them towards the Hirasawa residence.

/

_[1] – Ritsu has indeed, clearly seen too much __**Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.**_

_So, we're off to a somewhat disastrous start (in-story, I hope!). How will Yui feel about Azusa's injury? Tune in next time to find out!_


	2. Recovery

_Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my first chapter! I apologize for minor spelling errors, since I don't have anyone beta-reading this._

_Also, I wish this site would get a section for __**Amagami**__ already… There's a Miya/Junichi incest fic in my head waiting to be written. :)_

_Warning: Mild nudity, though I'm sure you guys already expected that._

/

**Recovery**

Although it felt like an eternity to Yui, only ten minutes had progressed since Yui had flagged the taxi down near the gates of Sakura High School when they finally arrived at the Hirasawa residence.

Azusa's eyes were closed when Yui dared to look at her face; had the _kouhai_ fallen asleep due to exhaustion and pain? The guitarist shook her head, feeling guilty once more about what had happened. Her tights were torn, her kneecaps were both bleeding from the gashes she sustained from the fall, but those wounds were the least of Yui's worries. The thing that scared Yui the most was how Azusa would feel afterwards.

Yui paid the taxi driver, hoisted her own and Azusa's schoolbags on her left shoulder, and she gently propped Azusa up, using her own body to support Azusa's dead weight. Azusa's eyes opened and they blearily surveyed her surroundings.

"_Senpai, _we're already here, huh…" breathed Azusa softly into Yui's right ear.

Ignoring the tingling feeling this induced in her, Yui nodded wordlessly, and continued to shuffle slowly towards the door, trying her hardest to support Azusa's weight when she finally reached the door and pressed the button triggering the doorbell.

"Coming!" shouted a muffled voice from the interior of the household.

Yui dropped both schoolbags on the mat in front of the door and slumped against the wall, with Azusa beside her when the door opened and there stood Hirasawa Ui, Yui's younger sister.

"_Onee-chan_, what happened to you and Azusa-chan?" asked Ui in an alarmed voice, noticing how Azusa was slumped against the wall beside her older sister and the profusely bleeding gashes on Yui's knees.

"I fell on top of her and Azu-nyan bruised her back," replied Yui shortly, exuding none of the cheerfulness she usually exhibited.

This caused Ui to raise her eyebrows in worry; anything that was enough to get her sister feeling down like this was a serious matter. Ui immediately relieved Yui of Azusa and went inside, leaving Yui alone momentarily with her own thoughts.

"_I don't ever want to hurt Azu-nyan again. I should be more careful, and act like a real _senpai _from now on_," thought the guitarist as she made to follow her sister and Azusa into the house.

/

"Azusa-chan, how is your back feeling?" asked Ui worriedly as she led Azusa to the dining table, while Yui wordlessly shuffled upstairs, bringing her and Azusa's schoolbags with her.

"It hurts like hell, but I think a quick shower with cold water and a cold compress will help. Mio-_senpai_ also said I should take mefenamic acid and ibuprofen to ease the pain," muttered Azusa, slumped on the dining table.

"I think you should stay the night, Azusa-chan," offered Ui. "I'll call your parents to let them know, what do you say?"

Azusa nodded, and as Ui was about to make the call, she spoke,

"Tell them that it was just an accident. Nothing more, nothing less."

Ui nodded as she dialed the Nakano residence on the telephone.

"_Onee-chan,_ can you take Azusa-chan upstairs to my room so she can get undressed for her shower? I'll have to cook dinner for the three of us, so please attend to Azusa-chan! You should also wash your wounds with soap and water, so I can take care of them later. Why don't you shower with Azusa-chan!" shouted Ui, loud enough that her sister could hear her from upstairs.

Azusa sat up suddenly and cringed in pain, deciding to protest,

"No Ui, it's okay, I've been here before, so I can handle my—"

Azusa was interrupted when her home's phone was picked up.

"Hello? This is Hirasawa Ui…"

/

Yui heard her sister's call from downstairs while sitting on her bed, pondering on how she could make it up to Azusa when what her sister was suggesting hit her like a ton of bricks.

"_Me, shower with Azu-nyan?" _thought the guitarist. "_I think I'll just prepare her bath instead I don't think she'd like to shower with the person that injured her, in any case._"

Despite Azusa's reassurances in the car, Yui still felt scared about the entire matter. Azusa was the first non-family member Yui could honestly say she loved, and she didn't want to lose that. She would do anything to keep what she had at this moment, and she felt scared at the thought that she could have possibly jeopardized that.

Glancing once at the keychains that hung from both her schoolbag and Azusa's, as well as the diploma sticking out of her own, she stood up and found an unused face towel in her messy closet, wiping the blood off her knees with it. Her tights that Ui had just bought for her had two huge holes right at the knees, and Yui felt doubly bad about the accident when she realized that her own sister spent hard-budgeted money that their parents had sent them from abroad on those tights. Sighing loudly, Yui dumped the face towel in the stack of dirty clothes that lay in a corner of her room and proceeded to go downstairs.

Upon getting there, she saw Ui just hang up on the phone and Azusa slumped on the dining table, one hand gingerly rubbing her back.

"_Onee-chan_, it's a go for Azusa-chan to stay over with us tonight. Why don't you both take a shower, so afterwards, I can tend to both your injuries," proposed Ui, the ever responsible younger sister.

"Um, Ui, I'm not sure if Azu-nyan would want to—"

"I think it's better that way, Yui-_senpai_," said Azusa, cutting Yui off. "It'll save you guys water, and I think it'll be easier on me if you, um, scrub my back for me."

The _kouhai_ buried her face into the table embarrassedly, while Yui blushed all the same as Ui smiled at the situation.

"_There might be a chance for me to make it up to Azu-nyan tonight_," thought the guitarist with confidence.

"In that case, Azu-nyan, come with me," said Yui gently, more gentle than she had ever been with the _kouhai_.

She extended her hand to Azusa, who obliged and they began the slow trek upstairs due to the state of their injuries. As they ascended, the _kouhai_ could sense her _senpai's_ turmoil, but she wasn't sure how she could reassure the girl that she wasn't mad.

"_I could never hate you for something as petty as this, Yui-_senpai," thought Azusa.

She decided to go with the cryptic route, to save herself from saying anything embarrassing. Yui silently handed her a spare bath towel, turning away as they both began to undress. She laid out a change of clothes for Azusa before going to the bathroom, and while they were both headed there clad only in towels wrapped around their bodies, Azusa broke the silence.

"Please have faith in me, Yui-_senpai_," said Azusa gently, clapping a hand on Yui's back.

Surprise was etched across Yui's face, though it melted the stoic look off and shortly thereafter was replaced with a smile that reminded Azusa of the Yui-_senpai_ she knew.

"Okay Azu-nyan, I trust you," said Yui gently, stepping towards Azusa as she opened the door and gently hugged her from behind. "I'll make sure to gently scrub your back, okay?"

Yui glanced at the staircase and then shouted,

"Ui, please prepare the cold compress so I can wrap it around Azu-nyan's body before we eat, okay? Also, her change of clothes… should she wear some of my clothes or some of yours? I already laid out some clothes for her!"

"Roger that, _onee-chan! _I think it'll be better if Azusa-chan uses your clothes!" shouted Ui in kind from the first floor, as the two girls entered the bathroom and locked the door. "Heh," chuckled Ui to herself as she stir-fried the mixed vegetables in the pan. "I can tease Azusa-chan with that."

/

In the Akiyama residence, Mio was on the phone talking to Ritsu while she was cleaning her room.

"I hope Yui and Azusa both got home okay," said Mio, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder while she dusted some of the shelves in her room. "Yui's demeanor earlier was so unlike her usual self, don't you think?"

"_I think Yui's really worried that Azusa's going to be mad at her," _came Ritsu's voice from the phone. "_Knowing Azusa though, she'll feel annoyed for a while but eventually, she'll let it go since this is Yui we're talking about here._"

"I wonder how things will work between those two; Yui really looked depressed," said Mio worriedly, now dusting the desk lamp on her table.

"_In the end, I'm sure they'll be fine,_"said Ritsu. "_Those two are closer than they think they are._"

"I guess you're right Ritsu; it was foolish of me to worry about those two," said Mio absentmindedly, lying down on her bed.

"_Well, if that's all, I need to phone Sawa-chan now; I have a few things to discuss with her,_" said Ritsu. "_Good night Mio; see you tomorrow._"

"Later, Ritsu," said Mio as she hung up, staring blankly at her room's ceiling. "Don't ever change…"

/

"Alright Azu-nyan, make sure to step on the rubber mats in the shower room," said Yui, pointing at sheets of rubber that had been attached via suction cups to the bathroom floor. "I don't want you to slip, so please step there… good!"

As Azusa stepped into the shower room, Yui noticed that she still hadn't taken her towel off.

"Azu-nyan, we can't take our shower if you don't remove that towel. If they get wet, Ui will have a hard time washing and drying it," said Yui clearly.

Azusa turned away, her face reddening due to embarrassment.

"But… I'm embarrassed to let you see my naked body," mumbled Azusa softly. "My boobs… aren't big at all, not like Mio-_senpai's…_"

At that statement, Yui's laughter began to ring in the enclosed bathroom, the sheer cacophony nearly deafening Azusa, who closed her eyes and covered her ears. When the sound stopped, she opened her eyes, taking her hands away from her ears, only to find that Yui had already discarded her bath towel and was standing in front of her, stark naked.

Azusa began stuttering due to the sight that befell her eyes. Her beloved _senpai_, naked in front of her, and only her.

"Y-Y-Yui-_senpai_, you're…" Azusa's voice faltered.

"Don't worry about it, Azu-nyan!" chirped Yui happily. "See, look at my boobs! They're not big at all either."

Yui cupped her boobs but they were too small to have any noticeable effect when held in that manner.

"See? In fact, Ui has bigger boobs than me," said Yui in a carefree manner. "I remember Ricchan telling me that that was how Sawa-chan knew that Ui was filling in for me last year when I was sick. So Azu-nyan, please don't feel bad because…"

"…_because it's Azu-nyan's body…" _thought Yui but didn't say. "_Waah, Sawa-chan's sex education classes!_"

"Umm, Yui-_senpai…_?" tentatively asked the _kouhai_, completely oblivious to the sudden onset of turmoil that had entered her _senpai's_ thoughts.

"_No no no, I can't think about Azu-nyan like that; she'll hate me!_"thought Yui, brushing the thoughts of indecency aside.

"…so um," said Yui, clearing her throat. "Let's get your towel off too, so we can have a nice cold shower to help your back feel better."

"…okay, Yui-_senpai_," said Azusa timidly, slowly unraveling her bath towel and when she had taken it off completely, she stepped out of the shower area and placed her towel beside Yui's.

Yui could only stare at her beloved _kouhai's _body while she slowly shuffled back to the shower room. She snapped out of her thoughts, said nothing, and slowly turned the shower on.

The two bathed in total silence, washing their hair thoroughly with both shampoo and conditioner, and later, after washing her face with facial scrub, Yui got a soft sponge and instructed Azusa to sit down on the small plastic stool that was located behind the rubber mats.

"Okay Azu-nyan, tell me when it hurts, okay?" asked the guitarist in a gentle and caring voice.

Azusa nodded, and when Yui's sponge took to her back, her muscles instinctively tensed due to the pain she was expecting to come.

To her surprise, Yui began to rub her back with the sponge so gently that it felt more relaxing than painful. Azusa's shoulders relaxed and she fell into a deep satisfaction at how her_ senpai_ was washing her back. If Yui could see Azusa's face, she would've seen a big cat smile on it.

"How does it feel, Azu-nyan?" asked Yui, continuing to gently scrub the _kouhai's_ back with the soft sponge.

"It feels great, Yui-_senpai_," purred Azusa. "I feel like I'm the luckiest kitten in the world…"

"Oooh, interesting analogy Azu-nyan!" exclaimed Yui happily, rinsing the suds from Azusa's back with the shower head. "Okay, all done, now it's my turn to wash myself. Azu-nyan, if you want to get out already, go ahead, I left you some clothes on my bed."

"No!" exclaimed Azusa, surprising Yui, who hadn't seen Azusa feel this… emphatic about anything in a long time.

"Err, do you want to wait for me then?" asked Yui sheepishly, scrubbing her wounds with the soft sponge. "Ow, that stings…"

"I want to scrub your body, Yui-_senpai_," declared Azusa, who felt tremendously lucky that her red face wouldn't be noticeable in the shower room.

"Oh Azu-nyan, I'd like that so much!" exclaimed Yui happily, as she let Azusa take the sponge from her hands.

Azusa began to gently go over the wounds on Yui's knee with utmost care, realizing that Yui had been injured more severely than she was. Her bruise would go away in a few days, since it wasn't that large and black, not to mention that her back was feeling better due to the cold water already. Yui's gashes, on the other hand, would remain fresh for the next few days, and it would take a few more days after that for the wounds to form scabs. She noticed Yui's face scrunching up in pain, causing her to apply less force to scrubbing the wounds.

"Sorry about that, _senpai_… there, all done! Turn around so I can scrub your back."

Yui complied and Azusa started to scrub Yui's back firmly yet gently, trying her best to emulate how Yui had scrubbed her back earlier. She felt Yui's body tense while she was scrubbing, and without warning, she heard Yui sobbing.

"_Senpai, _what's wrong?" asked Azusa worriedly, adjusting herself so she could look at Yui's tear-streaked face.

"Y-You know Azu-nyan, I've been thinking how I've been a really bad _senpai_ to you. You're the one looking after me all the time, I'm the one causing trouble for you all the time, and you're more mature than I am… I think it would be better if I was the _kouhai_ instead of you," sniffed Yui, tears cascading down her wet face. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gotten hurt tonight."

Azusa was shocked at Yui's breakdown; she never would've thought that her carefree and beloved _senpai_ would lose what she loved the most about her: her ability to remain smiling no matter the circumstances. She set aside the sponge, and cupped Yui's face in both of her hands, startling her.

"Yui-_senpai_… I wouldn't have it any other way," said Azusa fervently, Yui's face in her hands. "What we have right now is something that won't be affected by time or distance. What we have right now… is something I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. What we have right now… is something I would do my best to treasure and protect. That's the way it has always been, and always will be for Hirasawa Yui-_senpai_ and Nakano Azusa."

Azusa embraced Yui, both of them feeling the platonic intimacy that their close friendship over the past two years had spawned, and Yui let her arms wrap around the _kouhai_ that she, though she didn't really know it yet at this point in time, loved.

"Don't ever change, Yui-_senpai_," whispered Azusa into Yui's right ear. "The way you are right now is great. Although it would help Ui if you became a little more responsible," chuckled Azusa.

They let go of each other and proceeded to rinse all the soap off their bodies. As they were toweling themselves dry, putting on their underwear, Yui said,

"That's exactly why I'm going to move out; so that I can become less dependent on Ui and so I can become more responsible. I'll spend this entire week after tomorrow's party training up on those things though, so when college begins the week after, I'll be ready… I hope."

Azusa chuckled and said, "Congratulations on graduating, Yui-_senpai_. Now, let's see what Ui cooked for the three of us."

/

"Thanks for driving me home tonight, Sawa-chan-_sensei_," said Mugi happily, as Sawako coasted along the dark streets. "I feel much safer when I'm with you, even safer than I feel when I'm in the limousine that the servants send for me when Father's not home."

Sawako's chest thumped at Mugi's words; never in her entire life did anyone tell her that they felt _safe_ with her.

"_Sawako, don't blush from such a simple _doki-doki_ moment; you're being a highschool student all over again!_" thought Sawako.

"Maybe it's because I'm your badass club adviser?" tried Sawako tentatively, trying not to push her ridiculous assumptions too far.

"Yes," nodded Mugi. "You've always helped us, and making Mio-chan dress up was one of the funniest things I've seen you do on a regular basis. By the way _sensei_, here are your eyeglasses."

Mugi took a pair of eyeglasses from her pocket and handed them to Sawako.

"Oh right, you took them off of my eyes when you massaged me earlier," said Sawako, absentmindedly, taking the eyeglasses from Mugi and placing them on her face.

Suddenly, the car jerked wildly to the right to avoid an incoming car that was traversing the wrong lane to overtake another car.

"Fucking speed demons," barked Sawako crassly. "Those motherfuckers would be better off dead; they're being a danger to society. Ah, excuse my language Mugi-chan."

Mugi chuckled as she looked at the stars in the night sky through her window.

"I think you sound cooler that way, Sawa-chan. You look like a really nice and sweet teacher, which you are, of course… But there's a different novelty to seeing your other side, the side that you were brave enough to show at your friend's wedding reception."

"Oh, that stunt Norimi made you guys pull," snorted Sawako. "Well, I fell for it, hook, line and sinker, but I couldn't let you girls just take on a genre out of your style and butcher it."

"In the end though, you became much more popular for that," remarked Mugi as the car stopped before a barrier signaling the presence of railroad tracks.

"I guess there're some fringe benefits to that, yeah," agreed Sawako. "Mugi-chan, why do you take the train to get to school? I mean, it would be easier for you if you were driven to school, right? Seeing as you live on the opposite site of the city as the school and all."

"Well, it's because I've wanted to try things that people do normally, things that people of my affluence would never bother with," said Mugi. "The novelty I find in working as a cashier at a McDonalds cannot be bought with money. There's something about it that appeals to me in a way I don't understand. Even my joining the Light Music Club was driven by the same concept. My father wanted me to join a piano club, or the equivalent, as I was trained to play classical music since I was a little girl."

"Your father's not a stage dad, is he?" asked Sawako uncertainly as she hit the gas when the barrier rose, signaling that it was safe to cross the railroad tracks.

"No, he isn't," said Mugi quietly, looking at the stop light that loomed before them. "I guess that's one of the reasons I've wanted to do things that people who aren't as affluent as I would normally do."

As the stop light changed from red to green, Sawako placed a hand on Mugi's head and ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry about things; I'll always be around to help you as an advisor, but more importantly, as a friend, Mugi-chan," said Sawako.

Mugi blushed, silently thanking the gods that it was too dark for her face to be seen in its current state.

"Sawa-chan, can we exchange phone numbers?" asked Mugi.

"Sure Mugi-chan, here, enter your number in mine," replied Sawako nonchalantly, tossing a red flip-phone towards Mugi, who caught it and began to enter her phone number in it.

"All done, Sawa-chan!" said Mugi, as they finally arrived at the massive gates to the Kotobuki mansion. "Here is enough; I can walk going in."

"Are you sure?" asked Sawako.

"Yeah," said Mugi, handing the phone back to Sawako. "I hope Ton-chan's doing fine in the clubroom…"

"Don't worry Mugi-chan, Azusa-chan and I will take good care of him," said Sawako. "Now, about your entry in my phonebook… 'Kotobuki Tsumugi-sama', yeah, that should work nicely."

"Sawa-chan!" exclaimed Mugi in embarrassment. "Just put 'Mugi-chan', pleaaaaaaaaaaase?"

Sawako looked over at Mugi and her puppy dog eyes and smirked.

"I was just kidding, Mugi-chan. Now, off you go, and good night to you."

Mugi opened the car door and stepped out, bowing to Sawako.

"Good night, Sawa-chan-_sensei._ See you tomorrow at Yui-chan's house!"

"See you too," said Sawako, as she shut the door and drove off, leaving Mugi standing in front of the gates, which suddenly parted to allow her entrance.

"Welcome home, Tsumugi-ojou-sama," said an old white haired butler, who came to take Mugi's things from her arms.

"Good evening, Klaus-kun," replied Mugi in kind. [1] "_That ride home with Sawa-chan was great; wish I could do it again_…"

/

"Hello?" spoke Sawako into her cell phone as she drove casually towards her home. "Oh, it's you Ritsu, what do you need?"

"_Sawa-chan, I was thinking, why don't we spice up tomorrow's graduation party over at Yui's house? I've got a bottle of _sake_ I can sneak out of the house,_" said Ritsu.

"No, absolutely not!" barked Sawako into her phone. "You know full well that you girls are underage!"

"_Don't be a killjoy Sawa-chan, I mean, it's our graduation party after all. It's only for one night,_" pleaded Ritsu. "_Besides, I heard from Norimi-san that back in the day, you'd turn to drinking to alleviate your depress—_"

"**ENOUGH!**" shouted Sawako into her phone. "Just… don't remind me about that, okay? Fine, I'll let you bring a bottle of _sake_ over, but **just the one**."

"_Thanks, Sawa-chan! See ya tomorrow!_" said Ritsu as she hung up.

As Sawako dropped her phone in the passenger seat, she sighed loudly.

"_Oh, what have I dragged myself into?"_

/

"Azusa-chan, where would you like to sleep tonight? In my room, or in _onee-chan's_ room?" asked Ui, directing her arms towards the rooms in question.

It was 11 pm, and the three of them were already feeling sleepy due to the events that had transpired that day. Yui, especially, felt tired, since she had to hide Sawako's message from the class throughout the entire graduation ceremony, not to mention the jamming session that ensued after the four girls had performed for Azusa. Then there were the injuries both Yui and Azusa sustained; Azusa now had a cold compress tied around her back under the nightshirt she had borrowed from Yui, while Yui's knee wounds weren't covered in anything. Ui had called up Mio, who suggested not putting anything on Yui's wounds so as to facilitate quicker healing.

"I… I think I'll sleep in Yui-_senpai's _room tonight," said Azusa. "Good night Ui, thanks for the compress."

"No problem, Azusa-chan. Good night, _onee-chan_, Azusa-chan," said Ui, waving to them both as she entered her room and shut the door.

"Gimme a moment, Azu-nyan, let me lay out the _futon_ for you," said Yui, who opened another closet in her room, dumping the _futon_ out onto the space beside Yui's bed.

"Sorry that the floor's kind of messy," said Yui sheepishly, after unrolling the _futon _such that it lay parallel with her bed, amidst the discarded bed sheets and random articles of clothing strewn all over the floor.

"I didn't expect much from you to begin with, Yui-_senpai,_" said Azusa, chuckling as she stepped into the room and sat down on the _futon_.

"Azu-nyan, you're so meaaaan," pouted Yui, as both she and Azusa settled into their beds. "Good night, Azu-nyaaaaaan," cooed Yui.

"Good night, Yui-_senpai_," said Azusa, who rolled over such that she could look at Yui's face from her position on the floor.

"You know what, Azu-nyan?" asked Yui softly, her eyes closed facing in the general direction as Azusa, extending her right hand towards Azusa.

"What is it, Yui-_senpai?_" asked Azusa softly, taking Yui's right hand in her left.

"I'm glad I touched an angel like you," whispered Yui with gentleness in her voice. [2]

Silence ensued as tears began to flow down Nakano Azusa's eyes at the words that her beloved _senpai_ uttered.

/

_[1] – Klaus from __**Hayate The Combat Butler!**_

_[2] – The literal translation of __**Tenshi ni Fureta yo**_**.**

_I know that we're lacking Mio/Ritsu this chapter, but trust me, that will be rectified in future chapters._

_Oh yeah, I've got an exam on Saturday, so I'm not going to be able to update until next week._

_Next time: HTT clean out the clubroom for real, except for Azusa's stuff and Ton-chan, as well as the graduation party at the Hirasawa residence… with alcohol! Will anything… __**interesting**_ _happen? Tune in to find out!_


	3. Ethanol

_Hey folks, thank you for reading and reviewing my fic!_

_So, we have the graduation party. Things under the influence are always interesting, aren't they?_

_Note: __**Italicized and bolded**__ words indicate that the characters are speaking in __**English**__. Remember, they're still speaking Japanese._

/

**Ethanol**

The agreed upon time to meet up at Sakura High School to finally empty the clubroom of the four graduating girls' personal effects was at five in the afternoon. The balmy afternoon sun shone down on Akiyama Mio and Kotobuki Tsumugi, who both arrived at around five in the afternoon in front of the gates of Sakura High mere minutes apart, right next to the location where Yui and Azusa had injured themselves the night before,

Mugi didn't know that such an event had happened though, as she was whisked home by her favorite teacher Sawa-chan in her car, and while that was happening pretty much nearly everything else that Mugi was thinking about would have to take the backseat for the time being.

"Good afternoon, Mio-chan," greeted Mugi in a cheerful voice when she saw Mio, who was wearing a collared blouse and shorts approaching her, while she was already waiting in place for the rest of the Light Music Club to arrive.

She was wearing another of her usual sundresses on this temperate spring afternoon when Mio just walked past her; clearly, she wasn't paying any attention at all to her surroundings. This prompted Mugi to do something she'd wanted to do for ages, except that Ritsu would always beat her to it. She snuck up behind Mio and whispered into the raven-haired girl's left ear,

"Mio-chan, there are barnacles on your legs."

Mio flinched and shrieked in a voice so high pitched that Mugi felt like it could shatter a champagne glass. The bassist looked down at her lithe legs only to find them completely barnacle-free when Mugi gently poked Mio in the side and said,

"You were spacing out, Mio-chan. I couldn't resist, sorry."

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure, no problem, I'm used to this due to the crap _a certain someone_ pulls nearly every day," said Mio monotonously, recovering quickly.

Mugi could sense something was amiss, but she couldn't pin down exactly what was wrong, so she decided to do the simplest thing a friend could do: ask.

"Mio-chan, what's wrong? You sound like something's up," said Mugi, patting her shoulder gently. "Also, where's Ricchan?"

At the mention of Ritsu, Mio snorted and said,

"Ritsu wants me to take her Yamaha drum set home for her, since she said she was working on something for tonight's graduation party over at Yui's house. I don't even know how I'm going to transport a drum set on foot."

Mio raised her arms in exasperation and Mugi chuckled. "_As expected of Ricchan,_" she thought but didn't say.

"Actually Mio-chan, I'm arranging for a car to bring us and the instruments to Yui-chan's house. I just told the chauffeur that he didn't need to come immediately since we'd probably take some time to look at the room for the last time," said Mugi. "That should conveniently solve all our transportation problems regarding the instruments, and most of Ricchan's cardboard boxes."

As Mio nodded, a light breeze blew past them when the bassist sighed and spoke,

"Mugi, something happened last night to Yui and Azusa," said Mio carefully.

Mugi's eyes gleamed like sparkling sapphires when she replied excitedly,

"Did Yui-chan and Azusa-chan kiss or anything like that or even do _this or that_?"

"…eh?" uttered the raven-haired girl in surprise. "Ah no, this was actually something pretty bad. Well, it was bad enough for Yui to completely lose her smile and normal demeanor. Admittedly, the cause of the accident was a pretty silly thing, but in any case, Yui fell on top of Azusa and Azusa bruised her back pretty badly. Yui's tights were torn because she gashed both her knees."

Mugi gasped in alarm at the news the bassist was imparting onto her, and Mio continued,

"Now, imagine Yui, injured badly, flagging down a taxi with cold efficiency. After me and Ritsu gently helped her load Azusa into the taxi, she bade us curt goodbyes, nothing like the happy and bubbly greetings she usually imparts onto us."

The keyboardist frowned, and said,

"Is this what's been worrying you last night?"

Mio nodded.

"I even phoned Ritsu about it, but she was confident that nothing would be wrong, saying something along the lines of 'this is Yui and Azusa we're talking about here.'"

"I think I know what Ricchan means by that, and you do too, Mio-chan," said the blonde. "Yui-chan and Azusa-chan have a bond that's special. I'm sure you've noticed that when Azusa-chan's all stressed about us not practicing, or with other similar issues, all it takes is a hug from Yui-chan to calm her down. I'm positive that their bond is strong enough that it won't be affected negatively by such a minor accident as what you've recounted…"

"_Although if I'd hazard a guess, their relationship might've become even stronger due to Yui's guilt,_" thought the ojou but didn't say.

Mio suddenly twitched and muttered to Mugi,

"Speak of the devils."

Mugi looked where Mio gestured with her eyes and true enough, there was both Yui and Azusa, casually walking towards the gates, chattering animatedly while they did so.

"Look at them Mio-chan, looks like there's nothing wrong," said Mugi cheerfully.

The bassist just nodded as they both walked towards the two guitarists.

"…and I was saying to you earlier, Yui-_senpai_, you should avoid sleeping with your Les Paul; I mean, what if it got damaged because you hugged it too hard or rolled onto it?" said the _kouhai_ as they both approached Mio and Mugi.

"But Azu-nyan, I didn't even sleep with Gitah last night! I was holding your hand the entire time, remember?" said Yui, which caused Azusa to blush a fierce crimson red.

"Yui-senpai, stop saying such embarrassing things, please! Oh, good afternoon, Mio-_senpai_, Mugi-_senpai_," said Azusa, trying to regain her composure as she greeted the bassist and keyboardist.

"Hello to you two," said Mio, greeting both girls as Mugi merely smiled beside her. "How're the injuries?"

Yui scratched her chin for a moment before replying.

"Umm, my knees hurt so much, and Ui said it'd be better if I didn't put bandages on them so the wounds would clot much faster… oh but Ui got that from you, Mio-chan!" chuckled Yui.

"Don't worry _senpai_, I have a cold compress tied around my back right now, courtesy of Ui and Yui-_senpai_. That's why I'm wearing these suspenders, so I'm sure that it's pressed well against my back to soothe the pain," said Azusa, gesturing to her outfit that consisted of a blue and white striped shirt inside jeans and denim suspenders.

"You look like a really cute kid with what you're wearing, Azu-nyan," said Yui happily.

"Says the one wearing a shirt and shorts that're fit for the park playground," countered Azusa. "Besides, these are your old clothes, Yui-_senpai_, not to mention that you're wearing play clothes right now," continued Azusa, emphasizing Yui's attire, a t-shirt and shorts, to the other two girls.

"Ehehe… they are, yup," chuckled Yui, realizing that her sharp _kouhai_ won this round. The smile was immediately wiped off Yui's face when she remembered her own words last night.

"_You're the one looking after me all the time, I'm the one causing trouble for you all the time, and you're more mature than I am… I think it would be better if I was the kouhai instead of you…__"_

"Yui, what's wrong?" asked Mio quizzically, noticing that she looked even more spaced-out than she usually did.

"Nothing Mio-chan, I think I just really decided that I have to work on a few things in my life," said Yui seriously.

Both Mio and Mugi were taken aback at how left-field and unlike Yui that response was.

"Oh right Yui-chan, you mentioned that you were moving into an apartment near your university, right?" asked Mugi, trying to shake off the effects of that weird moment.

Yui nodded and said,

"After today, it'll be…household skills bootcamp under General Ui!"

She saluted and Azusa burst into laughter at how silly her _senpai_ was being. _"You always find a way to turn serious things into funny things, Yui-_senpai,_" _thought Azusa. "By the way, why are we standing around here and not going into the clubroom? Where's Ritsu-_senpai?_" asked Azusa of Mio.

"Ritsu's being the inconsiderate whelp she usually is, so she asked me to bring her drums to Yui's house for her. If it weren't for Mugi's transportation arrangements for us, I'd end up paying for a taxi…," said Mio, slowly clapping her right palm to her forehead.

"As to why we're still here and not entering, Sawa-chan has the key to the clubroom, so we're waiting for her," quipped the ojou. "It's been twenty minutes since the agreed upon meeting time though, so I think I should call her on my phone."

That being said, Mugi took her cellular phone from her handbag and began dialing Sawako's number, anxiously tapping her feet on the ground as she waited for the call to connect.

"_Hello? Oh, Mugi-chan, it's you._"

"Where are you, Sawa-chan?" asked Mugi in a worried tone, while Mio looked on with veiled interest at Mugi's overt anxiety for their former homeroom teacher.

"_Oh don't worry, I'm on my way to the school; I just had to buy a few things from a convenience store for tonight's party and Ricchan kept calling me about… stuff,_" replied the former metal guitarist evasively. "_I'll be there in five minutes, tops. See you in a bit._"

Sawako hung up as Mugi lowered her cell phone from her right ear.

"Sawa-chan will be here in five minutes, more or less," said Mugi, informing the others of their teacher's whereabouts. "Had to buy stuff at a convenience store for tonight's party at Yui-chan's house and Ricchan kept calling her about something she wouldn't tell me about."

Mio's temples creased and she sighed audibly,

"I'm sure that whatever that was, it was related to Ritsu calling Sawako-_sensei_ last night."

At Mio's words, the keyboardist felt as though a stone dropped from her throat into the vestiges of her intestines. "_Ricchan, call Sawa-chan? What for? I mean, I don't see how she could feel anything like _that_ for Sawa-chan…_"

Mugi brushed the intrusive thoughts aside like flies in a restaurant, shaking her head slightly, which Mio noticed and raised an eyebrow in reaction to.

"Who knows indeed…," said Mugi, as she looked over at Yui, who was gathering a few fallen _sakura_ petals on the fence while Azusa looked on in a doting manner.

A few minutes later, while the four were just idly leaning against the fence, a red smart car pulled to a halt in front of the school gates and Sawako alighted in a tank top and jeans, her face creased in apology. Mugi's jaw nearly dropped at the attire her _sensei_ was wearing; she was privileged to have seen Sawako wear this when she hadn't seen her before in this kind of clothing.

"_Aaand that's another one filed under 'things to see before I die,'_" thought the ojou happily.

"Sorry about that guys, had to pick up a few things for tonight. Mio-chan, you should keep Ricchan on a better leash," said Sawako, who led the girls into the entrance foyer of Sakura High School. "She kept bugging me about the surprise she wanted to spice up tonight's party."

At Sawako's words, Mio's suspicions rose even further; knowing Ritsu, these "surprises" of hers could be dangerous at times. Wincing internally, she recalled a scene from their youth when Ritsu had very nearly seriously injured her.

/

_The raven-haired girl was going down the slide when her best friend appeared out of nowhere at the end to catch her._

"_Ricchan, watch out!" screamed the future bassist, as she tumbled straight into her friend, who amazingly stepped back, countering the force of her body hurtling head on towards her using the additional distance and her positioning as leverage._

_As Mio brushed sand from her shorts, she glared at Ritsu saying,_

"_You could've been seriously hurt there, Ricchan, what were you thinking?"_

_Ritsu just raised her arms in an expression of uncertainty and replied bluntly,_

"_I don't know, but whatever it was, it's not too much for the great Ritsu to handle."_

_She thumped her chest with her two little fists as she laughed at her own statement. Mio looked on and longingly thought that she would acquire even a tiny smidgen of Ritsu's toughness someday._

"_Hey Mio, why don't you try playing on the monkey bars set?" asked Ritsu, pointing towards the playground equipment in question. _

_Mio shrugged and said in a soft voice,_

"_I don't think I'm strong enough to support my own weight on that thing."_

_Ritsu then smiled widely and said,_

"_Why don't we try, Mio? Don't worry; I'll be there to catch you if you can't hold on any longer."_

_Reluctantly, Mio nodded as the sandy-haired girl led her towards the monkey bars. As Mio began to scale the bars one by one, she was surprised that she was able to support her own weight with her arms, albeit with much strain and difficulty._

"_Ricchan, I'm doing it!" shouted Mio happily, as Ritsu was moving under her at the same rate as she was._

_Suddenly, Ritsu said something that made Mio's blood run cold and freeze as though she was suddenly dropped from a C-130 without a parachute._

"_Mio, you've got barnacles on your butt."_

_Impulsively, the girl let go of the monkey bars to strike at the offending creatures that purportedly laced her bottom, and she fell, closing her eyes in fright. When she landed, she was surprised that the fall didn't hurt as much as she'd expected it to._

"_Argh, Ritsu, why did you have to scare me like that while I was hanging from the bars!" said Mio angrily as she moved off of and turned to look at Ritsu who was beside her on the sand._

_It took one look for the anger to completely slide off her face as though it was rust dissolved using kerosene. Ritsu was clutching her stomach in pain, seeing as Mio landed cleanly on top of her abdomen when Ritsu failed to catch her._

"_Ricchan, are you okay!" screamed the raven-haired girl in fear. She impulsively looked around for help, noting blithely that the playground was empty sans the two of them._

_Ritsu then groggily sat up and turned away from Mio, who was about to run off to find help when she heard a retching sound coming from Ritsu. Without warning, Ritsu threw up onto the sand, away from Mio, thankfully. After she had done so, she turned towards Mio, crudely wiping her mouth with her forearm._

"_Don't worry Mio, I'm fine," coughed the future drummer. "I just got the wind knocked out of me."_

_Seeing that Ritsu was alright, Mio's anger returned and she asked in a even voice,_

"_What did you do that for, Ricchan? Why did you scare me so that I would fall?"_

"_Because," coughed Ritsu, spittle flying from her mouth. "I wanted you to trust that I would catch you when you fell, no matter what it takes. Between the two of us, I'd rather that I'd get hurt than you, Mio. This was just a nice and flashy way of demonstrating things. I'm pretty tough, but it did hurt much more than I thought it would. Still, I'm glad that you're pretty light though."_

_Mio could only gape at her best friend, who was massaging her stomach gingerly as she continued to retch._

/

The memory fresh in her mind, Mio blushed, thankful that no one was paying attention to her as they ascended the staircase headed towards the clubroom. "_I promise that I'll also do my best to guide and protect Ritsu in college. It's only fair… and I would've done that even if she didn't do the same for me,_" she thought.

"Oh Azu-nyan, it was only weeks ago when we made our awesome recruitment video," said Yui happily, gesturing to the frog sign that the club used to signify their request not to be disturbed. "I remember when Sawa-chan wanted us to wear _those_ clothes, and when even Mugi-chan refused, she just put the thong on the froggy sign."

At the mention of their latest recruitment video, Azusa could only sigh in embarrassment, recalled the very final clip of said video. Sawako chuckled as she took a key out of her jeans and unlocked the door.

As they entered, the clubroom was in the exact same state they had left it yesterday. Without preamble, Azusa immediately went to the tank and started to feed Ton-chan, while Yui had her hands and face plastered onto the tank, watching the food pellets sink gently as the soft-shelled turtle began to consume them.

"Oh Azu-nyan, you really do love Ton-chan so much," squealed Yui as she glomped Azusa in a gentle manner, mindful of the state that her back was in.

Azusa knew better than to struggle against Yui's hugs by now; she just exuded a calm aura of acceptance, though internally, she felt her heart rate speed up like it did every time Yui hugged her. "_How can I calm down when my heart's beating fast?_" thought the _kouhai_. "_Surely, this is oxymoronic._"

"Okay everyone, let's start bringing the heavy instruments outside to the gates first. Mugi-chan's arranged for a car to take the things along with you guys to Yui-chan's house," said Sawako.

Yui let go of Azusa as she went over to help Mugi carry her Korg, while Azusa decided to help Mio bring Ritsu's drum set that Mio was currently disassembling with efficient expertise, placing the individual drums and cymbals into a large box that required two people minimum to carry.

"Thanks for helping me, Azusa," said Mio gratefully as she counted to three, hoisting the box simultaneously with Azusa as Mugi shouted "watch out Yui-chan!"

Mio turned her head, attempting to look at what was going on with Mugi and Yui when she heard a loud "thunk", followed by Yui's pained exclamation. Azusa winced.

"Yui-chan, be more careful!" barked Sawako, who received a "yes, _sensei_" in return. Sighing, Sawako decided to tie packaging line around the two cardboard boxes containing Ritsu's stuff, enabling her to carry both out with ease. She hefted both boxes and to her surprise, found them to be much, much, _much_ heavier than she expected, nearly losing her balance when she did so. Cursing, she took steady steps and slowly made her way out of the clubroom with both boxes in her hands.

"It's no problem, Mio-_senpai_. I think we need to coordinate our movements so that we won't hit anything on the way down the stairs," suggested Azusa.

"Good idea, Azusa. I'll go back and forth between 'one' and 'two', so synchronize your steps with my voice, okay?"

"Yes, Mio-_senpai_," said Azusa.

"Alright, here we go," said Mio. "One, two, one, two, one, two…"

Inefficiently but safely, Azusa and Mio made their way towards the gates where they saw a long black limousine waiting for them, with Mugi and Yui standing beside Mugi's Korg in its protective case. Sawako was also there, panting while shooting the boxes containing Ritsu's stuff dirty looks.

Mio whistled at the sight and said,

"Mugi, you always seem to catch me off guard with these things."

Mugi chuckled and said,

"It makes things interesting, don't you think, Mio-chan?"

"Yeah, it does," said Mio, as she and Azusa laid the large box containing Ritsu's Yamaha drum set on the ground.

"Mio-chan, I'd really like to know why Ricchan brought freaking ten-pound dumbbells to the clubroom," panted Sawako in frustration.

"Ten pound dumbbells?" asked Mugi, her turquoise eyes sparkling in amazement. "You're pretty strong, _sensei_."

Sawako laughed and said,

"It takes strength to be able to continuously play a guitar with your teeth, since I have to hold my guitar just right or I won't be able to do it."

The driver's side door of the limousine opened and a gray-haired man of medium build stepped out and said,

"Tsumugi-ojou-sama, allow me to take care of these objects for you and your friends."

Mugi nodded and said,

"Thank you, Arakawa-san." [1]

Arakawa then gently moved Mugi's Korg and Ritsu's drum set to the trunk of the limousine, bowing and retreating to the driver's seat afterwards.

"Great; all we have to do is get the three guitars upstairs and we're all done," said Sawako, who led the way towards the clubroom once more.

Upon their arrival in the clubroom, Yui, Azusa, and Mio all picked their guitars up, and the five exited, with Sawako locking the room. All five on them stared solemnly at the room when Mio broke the silence,

"It's been three years, huh. I guess that's a long time for us and this music room, though Azusa here has one more year to enjoy and use it."

Azusa nodded fiercely.

"Don't worry _senpai_, I'll do my best to keep the club running smoothly! We just need one more member to play the drums, since Jun-chan told me that she's getting better on bass, and Ui-chan's pretty good with the guitar since she helps Yui-_senpai_ practice."

"That's my Ui!" exclaimed Yui happily.

"And I'll still be around, helping you guys as much as I can," said Sawako fervently. "Sakura High's Light Music Club's torch has been passed, so do your best, Azusa!"

Once more, Azusa nodded with determination, when she felt Yui's left hand take her right. She looked at her _senpai_ as Yui smiled and gently squeezed her hand. That alone was enough to continuously bolster her morale.

A short while later, they were at the gates of Sakura High once more, when the only people who hadn't gotten on were both Mugi and Sawako.

"Tsumugi-ojou-sama, are you not going to board the vehicle yet?" asked Arakawa politely, lowering the passenger side window.

"I'd like to ride with _sensei_ going to Yui-chan's house," said Mugi, turning to Sawako as she said so. "Is that okay?"

Sawako nodded, adding, "I don't see in what way my smart car interests you that your limousine doesn't, but sure."

"_I'm glad, though,_" thought the teacher.

"Understood, Ojou-sama," said Arakawa, as the passenger side window closed.

The main passenger lounge window opened and Yui stuck her head out.

"See you later at my house, Mugi-chan, Sawa-chan! Oh, I nearly forgot!" blurted Yui, rummaging in her pockets. Eventually, she found what she was looking for; a crumpled piece of paper that detailed directions going to her house and handed it over to Mugi.

"Good thing Ui thought of drawing that in case," said Yui. "Ooh, I like how the windows can go up and down like this and that."

The windows were indeed, rising and falling in succession when Mugi and Sawako heard Azusa's voice.

"Stop doing that Yui-_senpai_, you're going to overheat the mo—"

Azusa was cut-off as the window closed for good. The car then performed a U-turn, and sped away towards the Hirasawa residence.

Sawako then turned to Mugi and said,

"Let's go then, Mugi-chan. I'll have to move some of the stuff I bought from the convenience store to the backseat first though."

Mugi nodded, inwardly thinking how fortunate she was at this moment. _"If only things as good as this lasted…"_

/

"Ritsu! You're here already?" exclaimed Mio when she rang the doorbell to the Hirasawa household and lo and behold, it was Ritsu who let them in.

"Yeah, I already took care of some things; that's why I didn't join you guys."

"And it was because you didn't want to trouble yourself with taking _your_ instruments out of the school?" asked Mio sarcastically, stepping in with Yui, Azusa, and Mugi following in her wake. Sawako entered shortly afterwards, holding two six-packs of Carlsberg beer in her hands.

"_**Don't say lazy**_, Mio," said Ritsu, laughing at her own pun.

Yui, Mugi and Sawako laughed, and even Azusa cracked a smile at Ritsu's lame pun.

"_**No, thank you**_," countered Mio in kind.

Yui and Sawako were practically rolling on the floor, gasping for breath when Mio joined in the pun-making, when Ui stuck her head around the corner leading to the kitchen.

"Good evening and welcome everybody; the food will be ready shortly!" said Ui cheerfully. "Ritsu-_senpai_, could you handle the drinks you mixed up earlier?"

"Roger that, Ui!" said Ritsu, who was wearing cargo shorts and surprisingly, a collared blouse, dashed to the kitchen.

"Drinks… mixed up…" muttered Mio, who gasped when she put two and two together after noticing the beer Sawako had with her. "Riiiiiitsu! Are you crazy? We're underage here, except for _sensei!_"

"I kinda agreed because I'd be watching over you guys anyway," said Sawako, shrugging as she placed the two six-packs on a marble counter in the living room. "I brought my own so that I wouldn't have to partake of the stuff Ricchan brought."

"And what was this stuff that Ritsu-_senpai_ brought?" asked Azusa, as Yui excused herself to bring Gitah and Mu (Azusa's Fender Mustang) upstairs, to the _kouhai's_ chagrin.

"Oh, she told me that she'd be bringing just the one bottle of _sake,_" said Sawako, sitting down on the living room couch. "I guess you're all my responsibility tonight."

"Somehow, that doesn't reassure me in the slightest," muttered Mio, loud enough for Azusa, who chuckled beside her, to hear, as she set Elizabeth down on the floor beside the Hirasawas' television set, joining Sawako on the couch, with Azusa who sat across them on the floor.

"Everyone, dinner's ready!" called Ui from the kitchen as Ritsu emerged, carrying a tray full of glasses containing what appeared to be orange juice, as well as the aforementioned bottle of _sake_.

As Mio, Azusa, and Sawako got up from where they were seated, none of them noticed that her right pocket was bulging. A few moments later, Yui's thunderous footsteps were heard, and she joined them all at the dining table, beginning to partake of Ui's delicious roast chicken and steamed salmon.

/

"Damn Ui, can you cook," said Ritsu, massaging her belly as the addressed was clearing the table. "You'll make a fine bride someday."

"N-not at all, Ritsu-_senpai!_" blushed Ui as Ritsu took a draught of _sake_ straight from the bottle. "Anyhow, if you'll excuse me _senpai_, I'll be going off to bed now."

Ui took all the plates and cutlery to the kitchen, bade everyone good night, waved to her sister, and quietly ascended the staircase.

Earlier, Sawako had nearly thrown a fit when she sniffed the orange juice in the glasses, because she discovered that they were spiked with vodka. No one else had noticed, and, in a moment of childish mischievousness, she decided not to say anything, intoning that she'd have to control her own intake to be able to care for the kids.

"_There goes the other six-pack then,_" thought Sawako sadly. "_Might as well save those for another day_."

By this point, nearly everyone with the exception of Ui was buzzed: Mio was feeling a tad bit woozy, while Yui and Azusa were talking animatedly to each other about caring for Ton-chan on the living room couch, their fingers intertwined.

Mugi, surprisingly, was the least buzzed of them all, and when Sawako asked, she had merely replied,

"When I occasionally accompany my father to cocktail dinners, they'd usually have champagne and a few other drinks available, so I'd usually drink those."

"_I'd usually get myself drunk so I won't feel that my father was neglecting me during all those cocktails."_

"Really, Mugi-chan? That's pretty sad,_" _said Sawako, who downed her fifth can of beer.

"Huh… Did I say that out loud?" inquired Mugi of the general populace.

"Yeah Mugi, ya did," drawled Ritsu, downing another glass of spiked juice. "Fuck, this stuff really tastes good!"

"Riiitsu, I'm kinda dizzy now," said Mio, who unashamedly burped in Ritsu's face when she leaned over.

Ritsu laughed and said,

"Fuckin' good decision to bring this here bottle of vodka. Say Mio, I wanna show you something on Yui's TV; come with me!"

She whipped the 75% empty bottle out of the pocket of her cargo pants, and gently placed it on the marble counter, beside Sawako's unopened six-pack package of beer, gesturing for Mio to follow her to the living room. Mio stood up unsteadily and complied, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch as Ritsu, who turned the television on. Yui and Azusa continued obliviously, still having an in-depth discussion about caring for soft-shelled turtles.

"Still Mugi, I think I can relate to what you felt. My dad and I were really never on good terms either," said Sawako, opening her final can of the night. "He wanted me to play country music, but I flat out refused since it was my childhood dream to establish a band where I could play metal music to the best of my ability. He's practically disowned me, and I haven't spoken to him since the day I packed up and left to get my degree in Education."

Mugi stood up and moved her chair to beside Sawako, and sat down there. She took Sawako's free hand in her right and said,

"Stay with me, even if only for tonight, Sawa-chan. College will start next week and I can't help but feel… lonely."

Tears brimmed forth from the keyboardist's eyes as Sawako put her can of beer down and gently hugged Mugi.

"It's okay tiger; you can come visit me during your free time. I'll always be there for you."

Sawako continued to sip from her final can while the ojou cried into her shoulders.

"_I'm glad that here's someone I can love… But is this the real Mugi or just the alcohol and her insecurities talking? For her own good, I shouldn't do anything,_" thought Sawako sadly.

Over at the living room, Ritsu was showing Mio an anime that was airing at this unholy hour on the television, a classic anime about the high school life of six girls and both their English and PE teachers. [2] Yui and Azusa had already excused themselves, going upstairs.

"You know, I think I empathize the most with that one," said Ritsu seriously, _sake_ bottle in hand. "That one, the one who just said that she'd form the team of idiots. I sometimes can't fathom how you even put up with me, Mio."

Mio gazed at her with soft, tender eyes and said,

"We're best friends, Ricchan. Of course I'd always be there for you."

Ritsu gasped and leaped from the couch, her right index finger pointing with Mio in shock.

"Y-You haven't called me Ricchan since we graduated from elementary school!"

"What does that even matter, Ricchan," said Mio, rising from the couch and approaching Ritsu. "In the end, you're always the one protecting me, so it's an even trade. But deep down, I know it's not, because I've always been the load to you, haven't I?"

The expression of comical fear on Ritsu's face was replaced by a look of tenderness as she spoke,

"Mio, you never were a burden to me. I've always done those things because long ago, I swore that I would do anything so that you would never cry again."

Her thoughts turned back to the days when she first became friends with Akiyama Mio; the days when people in elementary school would bully her for being easily scared and because she was left-handed, going as far as to call her a "weirdo". The thoughts aroused the anger that lay dormant in Ritsu's heart; she thought that anyone who made Mio cry would get their asses kicked, courtesy of Tainaka Ritsu.

Mio sat down on the couch nearest to where Ritsu was standing, and gazed fiercely into Ritsu's eyes.

"Even so, it's still unfair. So, I've decided that from now on, Akiyama Mio will do her best to stand alone without needing to be protected. In fact, I want to be able to protect _you_ as well," said Mio in a powerful voice that belied her state of sobriety.

To Ritsu's complete and utter surprise, Mio stood up and swiftly moved close to Ritsu. The raven-haired bassist looked away in embarrassment after she did _it_, while the drummer was left stunned, holding the hand that wasn't holding the _sake_ bottle to her cheek where she felt the silky lips of Akiyama Mio.

"_Was that… nah, I'm sure that's totally platonic. I don't think Mio would be like that,_" thought Ritsu sadly. "_She'll find out eventually that I'm a lesbian… I do hope she still stands by her words when she finds out._"

Wordlessly, Ritsu put the _sake_ bottle on the small table in the center of the living room and hugged the bassist from behind with tenderness coursing through her heart.

/

A short while later, Yui descended alone from the second floor with Azusa's cold compress in her hand and placed it in the refrigerator in the kitchen. On her way back, she stopped momentarily, inspecting the happenings in the dining room, where she saw Mugi slumped on Sawako's shoulder, who was rubbing the keyboardist's back gently. Turning her attention to the living room, she found Ritsu and Mio asleep on the couch, their heads leaning against each other, the discarded bottle of _sake_ standing solitarily on the small table as though it was a steward watching over the two sleep.

Smiling, Yui haphazardly ascended once more due to the alcohol coursing through her body and, as silently and as gently as she could, returned to her spot in her own bed, where Azusa, now wearing another pair of her old pajamas, was sleeping. As she made to get onto her bed, Azusa opened her eyes, sensing her _senpai's_ approach and wordlessly scooted over a bit to give Yui some space.

Yui smiled and got into the bed beside Azusa, who immediately hugged Yui and whispered,

"_Senpai_… don't leave me, even if it's only for tonight… okay?"

Yui responded by burying her face in the crook of Azusa's neck, her arms encircling the _kouhai's_ body gently, still mindful of the state of her back.

"Azu-nyan, I'll always be here for you. I promise."

/

_[1] – Arakawa was the driver of the car when Itsuki explained what his Organization thinks of Haruhi to Kyon in __**Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu**__._

_[2] – In case you couldn't guess, __**Azumanga Daioh**__._

_Nothing too explicitly yuri yet; I'll be saving those for future chapters after certain events have occurred. Read and review please!_

_Next time: The four girls get a week off before college begins, while Azusa is faced with the daunting task of recruiting. Will she utilize the embarrassing recruitment video they made? Tune in to find out!_


	4. Interlude: The Next Stage

_Hey guys, thanks for reading once again. :)_

_This chapter will mostly be a multi-faceted take on each character or pairing and how they're going to prepare for the impending onset of university life._

_As for the person being left behind, there're… other issues._

_I did say at the start that this fic wouldn't be as light and as fluffy as the original source material, since I'm trying to add some realism to it. It's not as dark as Adrena Veris' fic, __**No, Thank You!**_, _which is a damn good read by the way._

_This chapter is shorter than the others since it's somewhat of an interlude._

/

**Interlude - The Next Stage**

Cleaning up after her sister and her friends wasn't exactly what Ui envisioned for her Sunday morning activities, but nevertheless, she took it in stride. When she woke up at the crack of dawn, being the responsible _imouto_, the first thing that she did was check on her sister in her room. Opening the door as quietly as she could, Ui saw how her sister and her best-friend were cuddled up, the fleece blanket covering their lower bodies. It still didn't hide the fact that they were hugging each other while they were asleep, their lips within an inch of the other's. Ui smiled at the serene sight and closed the door, moving on downstairs to check on the other _senpai_ and Sawako.

When her foot left the last step of the staircase, Ui paled momentarily before recovering her composure at the sight that greeted her in the dining room. Cans of beer and glasses were haphazardly scattered all over the table, and some of their contents had spilled onto the table. Ui emitted a long, deep sigh, going to the kitchen to get a tray so that she could clear all the debris of the night before from their dining room.

As she washed glasses and threw beer cans into a black trash bag, Ui was inwardly thankful that her parents were working abroad as consultants for French pharmaceutical companies. Had they seen the aftermath of the proposed graduation party, they could've possibly exploded in anger. Alternatively, they could just as likely say something along the lines of "Our Yui-chan's all grown up!"

Ui chuckled at how random her parents could be, and she was glad that her sister was the same. It wouldn't do if everyone in the family was exactly like her, and that weird combination of personalities is what made the two Hirasawa sisters. Making a mental note to take the trash bag to a trash can at the very end of the street later, she moved towards the living room, expecting to find the _senpai_ and Sawako there.

She wasn't disappointed; seeing their sleeping faces, she inwardly gasped at the marvelous effects alcohol had on one's inhibitions. Ritsu, who normally teased Mio to no end, was sleeping beside Mio, their heads touching each other and their fingers intertwined.

"I wonder though, if Ritsu-_senpai_ and Mio-_senpai_ are lesbians or bisexual," wondered Ui aloud, her finger on her chin in thought. "If they were the latter, they'd just be like _onee-chan._"

Turning to the other two who had drunkedly made their way to their current position from the dining room a few hours ago, Ui saw that Mugi was sleeping peacefully, using Sawako's lap as a lap pillow, while the _sensei_ had her arms spread across the back of the couch, her head tilted back and her mouth open.

Ui did her hardest to fight back her laughter and the temptation to take an incriminating picture of their beloved Yamanaka-_sensei_, but being the sensible person she was, she easily fought off the prankish tendencies. She took Ritsu's empty sake bottle from the small table and threw it into the black trash bag along with the cans of beer, making her way towards the trash can of one of their neighbors at the end of the street.

"Good morning Ui-chan," came the gentle voice of an old lady as Ui hoisted the trash bag into the bin.

"Good morning, _obaa-chan_," greeted Ui in kind, bowing. "It's a lovely Sunday morning, isn't it?"

"It is, it is," chuckled the old woman genially. "You're always so responsible; keep looking after Yui-chan while you still can."

Ui nodded and bid the lady goodbye, heading back towards her house thinking wryly that most of the people she knew were either lesbian or bisexual.

/

_*thump*_

Mio woke to the sound of a door slamming. The raven-haired bassist stood up and stretched, gently moving Ritsu's head so that she would be gently resting on the couch. Looking towards the source of the noise, she saw Yui's little sister Ui looking mortified at the way she had closed the door.

"M-Mio-_senpai_, good morning!" squealed Ui, bowing as she said so. "Sorry for waking you up!"

Mio smiled gently and walked over to Ui. She surveyed the living room that was now clean, and poked her head around the corner to look at the now clean dining room, which had been a messy place the night before.

Turning back to Ui, she pat the girl gently on the head and said,

"You're so responsible, Ui. I think Yui should learn from you."

"Actually, starting today, _onee-chan_ wanted me to train her in doing household chores. Did she tell you that she'd be moving to an apartment near your school, _senpai?_" said Ui brightly.

Mio nodded thoughtfully.

"I do wonder if she'll be prepared for the rigors of living alone. Excuse me for a moment, I'll go wait Ritsu up now."

Ui nodded and went upstairs to wake Yui and Azusa up. When the _imouto_ had ascended the stairs, Mio slumped on the couch beside the snoring Ritsu, clutching her head with her hands.

"_D-dammit, my head really hurts! How much did I even have last night? To think I actually k-k-ki— _"

Mio promptly buried her face in her hands as she recalled what she did to Ritsu last night.

"_What's she going to think of me when she finds out that I'm not into just boys, but girls too? I… I don't think I could take it if she shunned me for being bisexual… I have to hide it at all costs from Ritsu, to protect what we have._"

Opening her eyes slightly, she gazed at the other two people who were in the living room. Mugi was curled in a fetal position with her head resting on Sawako's lap. Her gaze went to Sawako's mouth which was wide open, her tongue lolling awkwardly to one side. Stifling a giggle, she felt the weight on the couch shift as Ritsu groggily sat up, rubbing her eyes. Looking to her right, she gave Mio a wry look before yawning, stretching her arms as far as they could reach. With the way Ritsu yawned, Mio was tempted to put her finger in the drummer's mouth, just for the reaction. Ultimately, she decided against it, not wanting to feel too touchy-feely with Ritsu after what she had done last night.

"Morning Ritsu," said Mio, standing up. "Clean after yourself, and go wake Mugi and Sawako-_sensei_ up, so we can get out of Yui and Ui's hair."

Ritsu groggily nodded as she stood up and checked her cargo shorts for anything that was missing. To her dismay, she vaguely remembered emptying all the vodka the night before, or she thought she did. The memories too blurry for her to sift through, she stood up and decided to get herself a glass of water from the kitchen when she remembered what Mio did last night.

Surprisingly, Ritsu was calm about the whole ordeal, thinking the same train of thought she had last night. "_For now, I can't let her find out about me. When the time is right…_"

Leaning over across the table, she gently poked Mugi in her face, trying to wake the keyboardist up. As Mugi stirred, Ritsu stifled a laugh at how Mugi slept on Sawako's lap in a fetal position. "_Those two seemed pretty close last night. I'm fairly sure something big happened, so whatever it was, I hope it was enough to keep Mugi alive without me, Mio, and Yui._"

"Good morning Ricchan," yawned Mugi, stretching her arms haphazardly. Not realizing her position, one of her balled fists connected solidly with Sawako's right cheek.

The teacher immediately woke up, haphazardly standing up as Ritsu and Mugi cowered in fear at what Sawako might do.

"Who the _fuck_ hit me in the face, huh?" shouted Sawako, livid, as she stared at both Ritsu and Mugi. "It had _fucking_better not be you, Tainaka, if you value your life."

Ritsu squealed and hid behind Mugi on the far end of the couch. The keyboardist sighed and said,

"It was my fault, _sensei_. I stretched, not mindful of the possibility that I could hit you."

Mugi performed a traditional bow, lowering her forehead far enough to touch the couch she was kneeling on. Not breaking the pose, she continued to apologize the way her father had taught her when she felt Sawako's hand on her shoulder.

She looked up and saw Sawako looking at her with a fond look in her eyes.

"I could never get mad at you, Mugi-chan."

Sawako smiled at her and Mugi sat up, looking at Sawako in the same way.

"Er," said Ritsu, clearing her throat. "So, if it was me, I'd be dead…?"

Sawako turned towards Ritsu and grinned evilly,

"Spot on, Ricchan."

Ritsu gulped in fear as Sawako gestured for them to start tidying the couches and throw pillows up.

/

"_Onee-chan, _time to get up! Training starts today, remember?" called Ui as she gently opened the door to her older sister's room.

She was absolutely not prepared for what she saw. Yui was picking up clothing from the floor and hefting them onto her shoulder, while Azusa slept peacefully in her bed.

"Morning Ui!" said Yui cheerfully. "While Azu-nyan's still sleeping, I thought I'd get a head start on cleaning up my room. I'm all ready for housekeeping bootcamp today!"

"What about Azusa-chan then?" asked Ui, entering the room and picking up some more clothes alongside her sister.

"Let's ask if she wants to stay and help or go home and rest. I think the alcohol hit her pretty bad last night," said Yui in a serious tone. "Oh Ui, guess what? My head doesn't hurt at all!"

Ui smiled.

"Good for you, _onee-chan_, but don't use that as an excuse to go partying all the time in college, okay?"

"You're right after all…," pondered Yui as she dumped the clothes into a hamper in the hallway leading to the bathroom. "What would I do without you, Ui?"

"Anything that you set your mind to, _onee-chan_," said Ui seriously, looking at her sister in the eyes as she entered the room. "Remember, you learned how to play the guitar just so you could become part of the Light Music Club that Ritsu-_senpai_, Mio-_senpai_ and Tsumugi-_senpai_ formed. Think of life as something like that. If you give it your all, then nothing can stop you. A wise man once said that a person's greatest enemy is themselves. Don't be your own enemy, _onee-chan_."

"Ui, that's amazing! When did you get so philosophical?" chirped Yui as she tacklehugged Ui, sending both of them splayed on the bed near Azusa's legs. "Woah, that was close; good thing we didn't hit Azu-nyan."

"What's all the noise about?" came Azusa's sleepy voice as she stirred; rubbing her eyes with her hands while her obsidian hair clung to the pajamas she was wearing in various places.

"Good morning Azu-nyan!" squealed Yui, immediately getting off of Ui and cuddling up with Azusa, encapsulating her in a hug.

"Good morning Yui-_senpai_," said Azusa. "My back's feeling a little sore, but it's much, much better than it was 2 days ago."

"Azusa-chan, I'll be training _onee-chan_ today," interrupted Ui, who stood up from her position on Yui's bed. "Are you going home or are you going to stay and watch?"

"I think I'll go home, Ui. I need to come up with something to recruit members for the club. If you can, think of something too and let's talk about it tomorrow, okay?" said Azusa as she broke free from Yui's embrace and got off the bed. "We need a drummer minimum; we can do without another keyboardist, actually."

Her thoughts jumped back to that day when she played a short song with both Ui and Jun; Ui at the piano and Jun on bass.

"I hope we get even one person to join, for our sakes," mumbled Ui as Azusa went to the bathroom to wash her face. "_Azusa-chan doesn't know that some members of Mio-_senpai's_ fan club aren't taken too well with her. I hope they don't give us any problems when we start recruiting._"

/

"Thanks for everything, Ui!" called Ritsu as she and Mio waved goodbye to Yui, Ui, and Azusa at the door. "Remember: you'll make an awesome bride someday!"

"See you in a week, Yui!" called Mio.

As the two left, Yui, Ui, and Azusa retreated back to the living room, where Sawako was making sure that she hadn't left anything. Mugi was already ready to go, when Sawako realized that indeed, she had forgotten something.

"Oh damn, the unopened six-pack I brought last night. Ui-chan, gimme a minute; I'll go get it from your refrigerator," said Sawako as she went to the kitchen to retrieve her valuable cans of beer, Mugi chuckling at how the teacher nearly forgot her alcohol stash.

When Sawako returned, Mugi was at the door, bidding Yui, Azusa, and Ui goodbye.

"See you around, Yui-chan. Ui-chan, my deepest thanks for a wonderful party and meal last night."

"No problem, Tsumugi-_senpai_. Azusa-chan and I will do our best to keep the club alive. Sawako-_sensei_'_s_ behind us too!"

"That's right, and I'll be damned if we don't continue Houkago Tea Time's legacy," said Sawako, approaching the door. "Thanks for the hospitality you two. Yui-chan, do your best in college, okay? Make sure you and those two visit me and Azusa-chan in school."

"I will _sensei, _I will!" said Yui emphatically.

"See you tomorrow _sensei_," said Ui and Azusa in unison as the two of them headed towards Sawako's car.

Ui closed the door and turned to Azusa.

"So, are you really going or not?"

Azusa sighed and said,

"Read like an open book, huh? Alright, I'll be staying, but I'll need to focus more on recruitment ideas. Yui-_senpai_, I trust that you'll do your best so that you can look after yourself. A-and if it's not too much trouble, since I won't be seeing you anymore after today here… I'd like to um, visit your apartment every now and then."

The _kouhai _fidgeted awkwardly while Ui was trying her best to not laugh at her sister and her best friend. "_Oh, if only Jun-chan could see this; she'd have a fit at how adorable Azusa-chan and _onee-chan _are right now._"

Yui's eyes suddenly brimmed with tears as she replied,

"Oh Azu-nyan, I'd love to have you over. You can even sleep there if you like!"

Azusa's heart melted when she heard what her _senpai_ had said. "_The chance to sleep beside Yui-_senpai_ in bed more often… Last night was the best night's sleep I've ever had in my entire life. What little time Yui-_senpai_ and I still have, I'll take it and use this to increase it!_"

"That's wonderful, _senpai!_" exclaimed Azusa happily, bouncing on her heels.

As Yui looked at Azusa, she was already imagining her cute _kouhai_ with cat ears on her head, going "nyaa~" the way Sawako made her do so long ago.

Her consciousness blurred and her nasal capillaries burst, letting a thin stream of viscous blood flow through her nasal cavity.

"_Senpai!_"

As Hirasawa Yui crumpled onto the floor, dazed, the words that she last uttered before collapsing onto the arms of Nakano Azusa were,

"So… _moe_…"

/

The week passed by without much eventfulness on the part of Mio. Most of the days were spent with her parents prepping her up for her college life, telling her that these three years of college were only the beginning of her career as a future doctor, even referencing the famous quote by Neil Armstrong when he first stepped on the moon all those decades ago.

She was admittedly nervous about her upcoming college life; after all, who _wouldn't_be? Inwardly, she was grateful that she and Ritsu had already talked to Yui about their first-year classes. Since these were general education classes, it was possible for all three of them to end up in the same class, and they had enlisted their slots over the internet, ensuring that they'd be together in Sociology, College Algebra, and English.

On Ritsu's end, her parents were mostly worried for Satoshi's senior year of high school, now that Ritsu had graduated. Their only words for her were "don't get into trouble" and "just have fun, but try to keep your grades at a passing mark."

Sawako just continued to stick to her daily repertoire, and she was already tasked to choose students for her senior homeroom class. Immediately, she picked Nakano Azusa, Hirasawa Ui, and Suzuki Jun, as it would be easier for her to coordinate with them as their advisor to the Light Music Club. She hoped the three of them would be able to find at least one person though, with their own power. As a teacher, she technically wasn't allowed to do actual recruiting, so all her hopes for continuation were placed on the three girls.

Sawako also felt uncomfortable with some rumors she'd been hearing lately, since the third years had graduated. A lot of people were taken in by the Light Music Club, and some of them went as far as to declare that they were the only true Light Music Club. The implications of this student body thought were bad for the three successors, and her worst fears were confirmed that Friday when she heard a student tell her friend as she exited a bathroom that "Nakano only looked good because she was playing alongside Akiyama-_senpai_."

As a teacher, she couldn't publicly interfere, and she hoped that not everyone thought that the previous Light Music Club was _too good_ to be ever replaced.

As for Mugi, she was preparing herself to move to the dormitory of Lillian University. [1] She'd already received the dorm acceptance letter from the dorm mother, and enclosed was basic information regarding her would-be-room-mate, Fukuzawa Yumi. [2] All that was left was for her to move in this Sunday, the day before classes officially opened. The keyboardist was anxious about her "relationship" with Sawako; she really didn't know how to classify it. Unbeknownst to her, the teacher was thinking the exact same thing, alongside the potential troubles that the club might have. Mugi was also pondering the fact that she would be separated from Yui, Mio, and Ritsu, and how she would handle herself at Lillian University.

"_I hope Fukuzawa-san is a nice person…_"

Ui was busy all week, training her sister heavily after school in household chores and independence. The way she did it was to teach Yui after getting home, and then she'd assign "homework" to Yui; a task that she must complete before Ui got home. Yui learned fast, giving the work the same devotion she had given Gitah when she had first laid her hands on it. Soon enough, Yui learned enough to be able to handle herself on her own. This was in theory though, so Ui still had some worry saved up for her clumsy older sister.

While things were good on Yui's end, Ui was getting increasingly worried for Azusa. Her misgivings about Mio's fan club were spot on. On Friday, Jun had come to her with a sense of urgency, saying that "there're some things you need to see in Azusa's locker."

Ui had followed Jun to Azusa's locker, where she saw the twin-tailed guitarist staring at her open locker, her jaw slack in shock. Ui peered inside the locker and saw that it had been stuffed full with letters. The ponytailed girl peeled one from the locker door and unfolded it. As she read its contents, her blood began to boil in anger at what she was seeing before her eyes.

_You suck, Nakano. Stop being a poser; you only looked good because you played alongside Akiyama-_senpai_ and Hirasawa-_senpai_. You'll never be able to replace their talent because you're not good enough._

_Shidou_

"Whoever this Shidou is doesn't know what a prodigy Azusa-chan is," huffed Ui angrily. "We'll show them; we've just got to put on a good show at the welcoming ceremony next semester."

"But Ui, how will we do that, seeing as we don't have a drummer and keyboardist?" asked Jun, her forehead creased in worry, while Azusa continued to just stare blankly at the hate letters she received.

"We need to try our best and get someone before that time, is all," said Ui confidently. "As for keyboard, I'm actually better at that than guitar; I picked up guitar just because I wanted to be like _onee-chan_. As necessary, I could see myself slide over to keyboard, with Azusa-chan sliding over to lead guitar."

"I wish I had your confidence, Ui," said Azusa flatly. "You know how rabid Mio-_senpai_'_s_ fans were. I can see why they hate me, since I'm soaking up the spotlight beside their idol. No matter my skills, these are people I will never be able to convince. Maybe we should just gi—"

***smack***

Azusa stared at Jun as she moved back to where she was standing, glaring at Azusa with the intensity of a cyclops.

"That's defeatist talk, Azusa. We'll never know until we've tried and done our best. I don't want to give up. Back when I was in the Jazz Club, both you and Ui knew how much I wanted to be a part of the Light Music Club. I don't want to give up before we've even started!" shouted Jun, drawing the attention of some first-years who were passing in the corridor adjacent to the lockers.

"I'm sorry Jun, you're right. We still have to try," said Azusa, massaging her cheek where Jun had slapped her.

"That's the Nakano Azusa I know," said Jun brightly. "It's this week or bust, since the opening ceremonies are on Thursday next week; we've only got a few days until then. Don't forget to hand me Mio_-senpai's_ bass portion for _Fuwa Fuwa Time _and _Hotchikiss_, alright? See you later Azusa; I need to get a bite to eat."

Azusa nodded and closed her locker with a note of finality.

"I do hope, for our sake and Sawako-_sensei's_, that Jun's right," sighed Azusa, sluggishly heading towards the cafeteria.

Ui could only follow her in silence, hoping that Jun was indeed, right.

/

_[1] – From __**Maria-sama ga Miteru**_**. **_We may have a small crossover featuring some characters from that series._

_[2] – I decided on Yumi since she's the most charismatic character in Marimite. From the shy girl in her first year, she grew popular as she progressed (popular enough to attract Hosokawa Kanako, remember?). Her personality is exactly what Mugi needs to cope with Sawako's absence (note that by this time, Yumi hasn't been by Sachiko's side for a year, so she can relate to Mugi's feelings)._


	5. Adjustment

_Thanks for reading! However, I won't know if what I'm doing can possibly be improved upon if people don't review! I accept constructive criticism; just please don't get too flame-y, okay?_

_It's the first day in college for the four girls, and Azusa still needs to find a drummer!_

_Also, __**Marimite**__ characters will be appearing, most notably Fukuzawa Yumi. I'm still unsure on how slight the crossover will be at this point, but regardless, I hope you guys like it anyway._

_/_

**Adjustment**

It was the crisp feeling of a new beginning that was in the air. Students milled about the lecture hall, looking at posters on bulletin boards, chatting with their high school friends whom they were classmates with. Some of the more interested ones took note of the extracurricular recruitment posters that were placed prominently on the bulletin boards, some even advertising introductory seminars of some sort for fraternities and sororities.

Akiyama Mio remained seated in her chair at the very back of the semicircular lecture hall, waiting for Ritsu and Yui to arrive. It was ten in the morning, and class was set to begin in half an hour. They were in luck, as the three of them were able to force being in the same College Algebra class for freshmen when they enlisted for subjects online. She felt a bit unsure with her new surroundings, since she had come from an exclusive high school for girls, after all. Most of the men she had encountered so far were polite, and Mio hoped that for as long as she was attending college that the men she would encounter would all be of the same persuasion.

Her parents had told her many grim and dark stories of college girls being raped simply because they had been at the wrong place in the wrong time. Having scouted the university though, Mio felt relatively safe enough to assume that the men here were not all sexually aggressive brutes who wanted nothing but to satisfy their inflated libidos. It was a community that placed importance on academics, after all.

An amused smile graced Mio's face as she remembered the actual enrollment process that had taken place a few days earlier. To her great surprise, Yui seemed to be more reliable as a person already, because she was actually schooling Ritsu around on the enrollment process. Mio didn't know how much of it was from Ui, but nevertheless, it was an astounding change to see in her dear friend, who wanted nothing more than cake and to hug Azusa back when they used to kill time after school.

"Yo, Mio!" came a cheerful voice that could only belong to one Tainaka Ritsu.

Mio turned towards Ritsu who had entered the room, with Yui in tow. Due to universities not having school uniforms, Mio found it a bit unsettling that Ritsu decided to come to their first class wearing a volleyball jersey and shorts. Yui, on the other hand was wearing suspenders and a pink t-shirt with the word "Neko" printed on it in romanji.

Seeing her two best friends wearing such clothing, the bassist felt somewhat more secure in her choices of clothing: sneakers, jeans, and a blouse. None of them brought their instruments with them, as they still hadn't talked about when and where they could find time to practice their songs.

Then there's also the fact that their keyboardist was studying in Lillian University, and that their second guitarist was still back at their old high school.

"Hey, Ritsu," said Mio quietly, as Ritsu and Yui filed into two seats beside her at the very back of the classroom. "We… are going to continue being Houkago Tea Time, right?"

"Of course Mio!" replied Ritsu without hesitation. "We'll just need to find time to meet up with Mugi and Azusa for our practices. We haven't made it to Budokan yet; we're not going to call it quits until we've gotten there."

Yui nodded in agreement beside her while munching on a sandwich. Swallowing, she said,

"We promised each other Mio-chan, that we'd get to play at Budokan someday. I think we should just do our best to achieve that goal, right?"

Mio was speechless at the level of dedication that Yui was exuding. Unable to resist, she pushed Ritsu aside and tapped Yui on the shoulder.

"Hey. Who are you and what have you done to the real Yui?"

Unable to hold it in much longer, the three girls laughed while the other students were chatting away and milling around, completely unconcerned with them.

"College life is pretty different, no?" said Ritsu. "Back in Sakura High, we'd probably get the attention of the entire class for laughing out loud like that. Here, no one gives a damn. The feeling of freedom is exhilarating, Mio!"

Ritsu reclined in the lecture hall chair, placing her legs on top of the table as Yui chuckled, continuing to eat her sandwich without a care in the world.

"I think I need to add more spread next time," muttered Yui absentmindedly. "Ui taught me a lot in just one week. Looking back, it's just like playing with Gitah! I just need to practice so I'll get good at doing it."

Ritsu turned towards Yui with a flabbergasted look on her face.

"Oi. Where's the real Yui?"

Ritsu turned to Mio, who finally failed to stifle her giggles and the three laughed again, this time drawing the attention of two boys who were chatting about the latest baseball league results. They looked at Ritsu with a look of condescending amusement on their faces, but otherwise ignored them and went back to their discussion.

A loud thump was heard, signaling the teacher's entrance. He was a tall bespectacled man, with a somewhat messy hairstyle and an air of pleasant strictness surrounding him. The students milling about took their seats, as it was customary to be polite on the first day of classes.

Taking a whiteboard marker out of his suit pocket, he wrote his name on the whiteboard in large kanji so that even Mio, Ritsu and Yui, who were seated at the very back of the ascending semicircular lecture hall, could see.

"My name is Kurogiri Satsuki and I'll be your College Algebra teacher for the rest of the semester," said the teacher into the lapel fixed to his suit collar. "I'm a recent faculty transfer from a private Catholic school, Reien Academy. No need to assume; I'm not a Catholic." [1]

The class chuckled politely and he continued,

"I'm not a strict teacher, but I expect, at the very least, courtesy from all of you. Teaching college algebra to a class of 60 students in a lecture hall as large as this is not easy, especially since algebra and trigonometry are topics that require **PRACTICE.**"

His voice rose noticeably at that last word, and Ritsu inwardly cringed. _"Math really isn't my thing, but I'm glad all I need are the basics. It's not like we need… whaddaya call that? Oh yeah, integral calculus, we don't need that in hotel and restaurant management, do we?"_

"That being said, if you feel sleepy in my class, go ahead and sleep. As long as you are able to solve the problem on the board when called upon, and as long as you do not unnecessarily disrupt my class, I don't care if you sleep,_" _said Satsuki, adjusting the frame of his eyeglasses.

"He's kinda scary," said Yui, who had just finished her sandwich, taking out a bottle of water from her backpack. "It's fun how we don't need to stuff everything into a small school bag the way we did it in Sakura High, right? Now, I can put all the food I want into this backpack!"

Mio and Ritsu glanced at the contents of Yui's backpack and they were stunned by the sheer amount of comestibles that was inside it. A double deck bento box, three more sandwiches, an apple, and some cake in a sealed plastic case, alongside the liter bottle of water that Yui was drinking from.

"So Yui, where exactly are your school things?" asked Mio curiously, thinking that the backpack barely had enough space for other non-comestible objects.

Yui opened a pocket at the front of her pink backpack, and pulled out a ballpoint pen and a composition notebook.

"Here, Mio-chan!" said Yui with a look of admonition on her face. "Here are my school things!"

"_Just that, Yui? In the end, you're still Yui…," _thought Ritsu blithely.

"Alright Yui, now let's go listen to _sensei_…," admonished Mio, who turned back to the whiteboard and at Satsuki-_sensei_.

Ritsu just placed her arms on the table and placed her head on top of them, staring at the teacher while he began explaining the grading system and composition of the course syllabus.

"So boring, Miooooooo…" muttered Ritsu, stifling a yawn.

"I don't think he's going to start the lesson already… is he?" wondered the raven-haired girl aloud. "I do hope he dismisses us after explaining the syllabus and its contents."

"Hey guys, how do you think Mugi-chan is doing over at Lillian University?" asked Yui, who was actually copying the breakdown of grades; Ui had advised her to do that so she knew where to ask for points in the event she needed a few more to pass.

"Yeah, I've been wondering about that…," said Ritsu thoughtfully, scratching her head with her left hand.

/

At the same time in the Rose dorms, Kotobuki Tsumugi had just finished moving into her dormitory room that she shared with Fukuzawa Yumi. The latter had welcomed her to the campus, despite being a freshman like herself, because she already was familiar with the campus locations due to visiting some of her _senpai_ that had graduated previously from Lillian's high school counterpart, Lillian Academy.

Yumi had enlightened her on the Rose traditions of Lillian Academy, where the Student Council was called the Yamayurikai, the _soeur_ system, and that the members of the Yamayurikai were directly influenced by the _soeur_ system, subdivided into the Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Gigantea, and Rosa Foetida families.

These no longer applied in Lillian University, but Yumi stressed to Mugi that the bond between a _petite soeur _and her _grande soeur_ was a bond that overstepped simple tradition.

"So Yumi-san, are you trying to tell me that at least half the population of Lillian Academy, and by extension, Lillian University is either lesbian or bisexual?" said Mugi as she straightened out her clothes in the closet nearest her bed.

Fukuzawa Yumi blushed momentarily and said,

"T-that's right, Tsumugi-san…"

"Yumi-san, please call me Mugi-chan. 'Tsumugi-san' feels a tad bit too formal for your roommate, don't you think? Oh, don't worry about it; I'm into girls too," replied Mugi cheerfully.

Yumi, who was dusting the shelves that housed her artbooks, replied,

"Alright then… Mugi-chan. So, when do you want me to show you around campus?"

"Probably before lunch time, so that we could grab a bite to eat afterwards, don't you think?" replied Mugi thoughtfully. "Here's my schedule by the way."

Mugi handed over a laminated sheet of paper to Yumi, who scanned it quickly. She took note of a subject that Mugi had with surprise.

"Economics 11? Then that means you're with _onee-sama_," mumbled Yumi thoughtfully.

"Who's _onee-sama?_" asked Mugi of Yumi, who hadn't noticed the former scooting over beside her to look at her own schedule.

Yumi eased slowly away from Mugi, whom she felt was too close to her for her own comfort.

"Um, my _onee-sama _is Ogasawara Sachiko-sama. She was the Rosa Chinensis two years ago in her last year of high school at Lillian Academy. I succeeded the role last year and then passed it onto her cousin and my _petite soeur_, Matsudaira Touko-chan."

"_Only _onee-sama _can be that close to me. Oh, how I've missed seeing her since her graduation. Text messages and phone calls are nothing compared to the real thing…_" thought the former Rosa Chinensis, a blush forming on her face.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" said Mugi in an unusually wistful voice. "Your _onee-sama._"

Yumi blushed further, damning her to Mugi's perceptivity and she nodded lamely, putting the duster she was holding down on the table and sitting down on her bed afterwards.

"It's been about a year since I've been together with her on the same campus. I mean, I've visited her occasionally, but sometimes I feel that's just not _enough_. The last time we were together was at the first shrine visit of the New Year, and it wasn't only the two of us. I just… It probably seems illogical to you for me to be rambling like this, but I can't help it, so I apologize, Tsumugi-san."

"_Mugi-chan_," said Mugi firmly. "Don't worry about it Yumi-san, I'd like to think I can empathize with that… or I will, soon enough. I like someone too at my old high school, and the idea that I won't be able to see her is just… awful. I honestly don't know how to cope with that. With my mother it was alright, since I barely knew her when she… passed on. But with Sawa-chan, it's different. In the span of three years, I guess I just fell in love with her."

"I'm sorry, Mugi-chan. About your mother, and about… Sawa-chan? Is she a classmate of yours?" inquired the pigtailed girl, lying down on the bed clutching a bolster pillow.

"She was my senior year homeroom teacher and my club advisor," said Mugi, sitting down beside Yumi on the bed, her back to her.

"Your teacher!" Yumi exclaimed in surprise, more at the fact that Sawako was Mugi's teacher and not that she was addressing her former teacher very informally.

"Yes. She's a very… awesome, for lack of a better adjective, woman," said Mugi. "How about your _onee-sama? _What do you like the most about her?"

Yumi rolled over to the side and blushed profusely, happy that her roommate couldn't see her crimson face and replied,

"Sachiko-_onee-sama _is an enigma, actually. Sometimes, she can be really cold and aloof, but deep down inside, she's a warm softy."

"In fact," rambled Yumi. "When we're alone together, the dynamic completely fli—"

Yumi cut herself off before she could say any more, and she buried her face in the bolster pillow, burning up in embarrassment.

"I found out just how caring she could be a week ago, when I basically lost myself due to the nervousness I was feeling of leaving her and the rest of my bandmates and best friends," said Mugi quietly. "I believe that only someone that you could really and truly love will be willing to hold you in their arms while you cry, without complaining or second guessing and asking."

"In my case," said Yumi, sitting up beside Mugi. "I've always put my best foot forward to be at the same level as _onee-sama. _I always wanted to keep up with her, no matter what."

"Those are admirable traits, Yumi-san," said Mugi. "Your _onee-sama_ must be proud of you."

"She is," said Yumi knowingly. "I can't wait to see her on campus again; she mailed me after enrollment saying that she had enlisted my name in her Home Economics class. So we get to be classmates!"

"That's really good for you, Yumi-san," said Mugi, forcing a smile on her face. "_At least Mio-chan, Ricchan, and Yui-chan get to be in the same class… I feel so envious. Yumi-san is a wonderful person, I can tell. But… She'll never be able to replace Houkago Tea Time._"

"Mugi-chan, it's almost eleven in the morning," said Yumi, looking at the classically designed clock that was set on the mantelpiece. "Shall I show you around campus now, so we can get a bite to eat? Possibly so you can rest up later for the first day of class tomorrow?"

"I don't mind that, Yumi-san," said Mugi. "If we run into your friends, do you mind introducing me? I'd feel more comfortable if I knew more people on campus."

"That would be absolutely no problem, Mugi-chan. Shimako-san and Yoshino-san would surely enjoy having you around. Especially Yoshino-san, who happens to be taking the same degree you are," said Yumi enthusiastically. "As for Sei-sama… you might want to tread carefully around that woman, she loves to get up close and personal with people, if you know what I mean."

Mugi's eyes glinted at this remark and Yumi felt something change from within Mugi.

"I would love that."

Inwardly, Yumi had no idea how to respond to her new roommate, who was obviously an ojou-sama, liking the idea of being groped by Satou Sei, of all people.

"A-Anyway, so a small bit of history on the dorms…," said Yumi, standing up while Mugi followed suit.

"Just a moment, I'll compose and send a text message to _sensei_ for a bit," replied Mugi. "You're going to be in charge of locking up the room for now, Yumi-san? I'm afraid I still don't have a copy of the room key."

"No problem Mugi-chan, we can have the key copied at the shopping district near here," said Yumi, who stepped out of the room with Mugi following her, locking the door afterwards.

"Perhaps I could get one of my butlers to come over and have the key copied for us while we eat in the cafeteria, Yumi-san?" proposed Mugi.

"I, uh, that would be a great idea, Mugi-chan," said Yumi, in awe of Mugi's affluence.

"Alright, I'll just send Klaus a text message," said Mugi, who took out her cell phone.

_Hey Sawa-chan_-sensei_, it's me! I've just moved into my room at Lillian University, and my roommate's really nice! :D She even said she'd introduce me to some of her friends! I guess I won't be that lonely after all._

_So um, if you're not too busy tonight, let's talk, okay? I really miss you and the others. Even if I make great friends here, they can't ever replace you and Yui-chan, Ricchan, Mio-chan, and Azusa-chan._

She composed a quick message to Klaus, telling him to call her up when he had arrived as she and Yumi began to walk down the mahogany halls of the classically styled dormitory.

"So, history… Um, these dorms were based on the Strawberry dorms of the three Catholic schools on Astolyre Hill…" began Yumi, as Mugi walked in her wake, thinking about many things, but the thought that stood out the most was Sawako not being accessible anymore. [2]

/

Nakano Azusa stood at the entrance of the auditorium along with Suzuki Jun, as they were both handing out flyers to the freshmen who were exiting one by one from the welcome speech by the school principal.

"Please go to our orientation meeting for the Light Music Club later at one in the afternoon!" shouted Azusa, trying to make her voice heard above the din of the milling students.

"Yes, please do!" echoed Jun, handing out a flyer to another freshman.

Thirty minutes later, the two were out of flyers and the auditorium devoid of people.

"Let's go back to the clubroom, see if Ui's done with the finishing touches. I can't believe she actually brought a microwave oven to makeshift bake with," said Azusa as they both walked towards the main building.

"Well Azusa, you know how it goes: the easiest way to people is through their stomach," said Jun sagely.

"Yeah, just like Yui-_senpai_…," muttered Azusa dreamily. "I wonder how she's doing over there with Mio-_senpai_ and Ritsu-_senpai…_"

"Well, Ui did say that Yui-_senpai_ improved dramatically in her housekeeping and sensibility skills training camp," replied Jun, opening the doors to the school building. "Don't worry too much about her Azusa, we've got our own problems to worry about."

"_This isn't my only problem… How can I __**not**__ worry about Yui-_senpai?_ Why do I feel so empty without her? Do I seriously l-l-love her? I… don't know, I shouldn't think about this yet…," _thought Azusa as they ascended the stairs towards the clubroom.

"I wonder what would be the difference between Ui's cake and Mugi-_senpai's_ cake. Obviously, Mugi-_senpai's_ cake is expensive, but taste-wise, hmm…," said Azusa thoughtfully. "Well, only one way to find out!"

Jun opened the doors to the Light Music Club with Azusa in her wake as she entered. Her eyes immediately searched for Hirasawa Ui, who was frantically baking her last batch of corn muffins, wearing a green apron with a picture of Keroppi on it.

"Hi Azusa-chan, Jun-chan. Last batch just finished," said Ui, who was sweating profusely, relieving herself of the apron. "Have some."

She gestured to a plate where she set aside two muffins for the two of them. The two of them took a muffin each and eagerly ate.

"Well, what do you think?" asked Ui nervously. She was nervous that her output might not be good enough due to the mass production and lack of time she devoted to each batch due to time constraints.

"Holy crap Ui, these are really good," said Jun excitedly, giving her a thumbs up to show her approval.

"Yeah Ui, these taste exactly like the ones from Kenny Rogers," said Azusa happily, taking a bottle of water from her bag and gulping down a mouthful.

"If your reactions are like that, then skipping the opening ceremony was well worth it," said Ui with a smile on her face. "Let's hope that these are enough to draw even one drummer into the band. I don't want to let this Yamaha Pacifica 112 model that Sawako-_sensei_ acquired for me go to waste."

She gestured towards the silver-black electric guitar that lay on the couch. They were surprised when Ui came to school with a guitar that morning, but in the ensuing rush to get to the auditorium and Ui's baking, there wasn't enough time for them to actually look at the new piece of hardware.

"H-Holy crap, Ui!" shouted Azusa. "Last I checked, one of these things cost 25000 yen! How did Sawako-_sensei_ get one for you?"

"She got it at a discounted price from the guitar shop that Tsumugi-_senpai's_ father owns," replied Ui.

"That's great Ui! Guess we're lucky for being friends with Mugi-_senpai_," said Jun in approval.

Suddenly, the door to the music room opened and a girl poked her head into the room.

"Um, _senpai?_ We're here for the orientation meeting…," said the girl shyly.

"Come in, come in!" shouted Jun, practically jumping on the poor girl in excitement. "Azusa, set the projector up so we can show them the recruitment video you guys made."

Azusa sighed and thought, "_For the good of the club… there goes my dignity._"

/

"We're waiting for you at the Light Music Club!"

"Come join!"

"Gelcome!"

"Rice is great!"

"W-Welcome to the Light Music Club, _nyan?_"

Azusa just cringed, seeing herself on the whiteboard with cat ears and… Ugh! "_For the good of the club, for the good of the club, for the good of the club…_"

Most of the freshmen laughed, but some of the seniors just frowned when they saw that last bit.

"S-So, like the video said," began Azusa, mustering up her courage to convince even _one_ of these students to join. "The club's a fun place to be. Even if you don't know how, we're more than glad to teach any of you the ropes."

Azusa looked at Ui and Jun who nodded their approval.

"However, our greatest need at the moment is a drummer. Without a drummer, no one will drive our rhythm. Is there anyone here who's good at drumming?"

The freshmen all talked among themselves, and collectively shook their heads. One senior raised her hand and said,

"I have some talent, Nakano-san," said the girl. "However, I feel that, based on the video you've shown us, you guys never took yourselves seriously as a band. I didn't see much of the dedication you're implying you had, even if you were able to present very well at the cultural festival sometime ago. I'm inclined to call those performances flukes. I've also been hearing nasty rumors about you though, how you just played alongside Hirasawa-_senpai_ and Akiyama-_senpai_ to look good. With that being said, I'm not comfortable with taking my talents to the Light Music Club."

The girl shrugged and said,

"I only came here for the free food, and to watch that recruitment video."

One by one, the girls began to rise and leave the room. The last one left was the girl who had first poked her head into the room earlier. She looked at them balefully and said,

"I'm sorry, but I'm no good in any instrument, and I don't like drums since they're noisy."

Azusa just nodded mindlessly as the girl turned away and filed out of the room, the door closing with a definitive bang that seemed to shoot down their morale and hopes.

"Don't worry, we have until Friday. Four more days; anything could happen," tried Ui.

"I sure hope so; since the policy on club recruitment sucks so much and is disadvantageous for us," said Jun in frustration.

In Sakura High School, club recruitment was only allowed for the first school week of the term if it was the spring term, and the first two weeks if it was the fall term. Consequently, clubs that are abolished during the first term are not allowed to recruit during the second term, since that was approaching exam season for most students.

"We'll have to keep trying, no matter what," said Azusa. "To carry on the name of Houkago Tea Time, we have to continue. Excuse me for a moment; I'll take a short walk."

Ui and Jun nodded and began to clean up as Azusa walked out of the clubroom. She heard a rustling of paper and she turned to her left. On the frog sculpture, a piece of paper was taped. She inspected the paper and her jaw dropped at what she read.

_Everyone knows you guys are slackers. Without the talent of the _senpai_ that had left, you're just all washed up now, Nakano._

There was no name this time, but Azusa didn't care. She just slumped onto the floor in front of the sculpture, tears pouring from her eyes in despair.

"_Yui-_senpai…"

/

_[1] – Kurogiri Satsuki is the schoolteacher magus in __**Kara no Kyoukai: Boukyaku Rokuon**__. A mage who can alter another sentient being's perception with his words, hence earning the moniker of "God's Word" from Aozaki Touko. I just decided to put him here for the intimidation factor. Why I picked him over Kuzuki Souichirou from Fate/stay night was a matter of a coin flip. :)_

_[2] – The three schools in __**Strawberry Panic!**_

_Next time: The four _senpai_ adjust to school some more and make plans to meet up after class on Friday! Will Azusa and the rest be able to recruit anyone by the deadline? Tune in next time to find out!_


	6. Youthful Vibration

_If anyone's still reading, sorry for the long gap between updates! I was unsure on how to write this chapter out, and I guess writer's block got the better of me._

_You may notice that I'm not focusing much on Mitsu as of yet; most of their development will come in future chapters._

/

**Youthful Vibration**

"…and this is my _onee-sama, _Ogasawara Sachiko-sama," finished Yumi, gesturing towards a black-haired woman wearing a coat on her right.

Sachiko's eyes widened in surprise as her eyes fell on Mugi, seated on the bed in the dorm room. She strode to the foot of the bed, looking intently at the blonde keyboardist who was seated on the bed, her mouth agape.

"Tsumugi! I had a feeling it was you," said Sachiko with a smile on her face.

"It's been almost seven years, Sachiko-_neesan_," replied Mugi happily, standing up and hugging Sachiko.

Yumi looked at the two of them in complete shock, as they separated from each other. Thoughts tumbled in her mind one over the other, jumbling together as though blended by a top of the line food processor used by a master chef. The feeling of surprise at her beloved Sachiko knowing Mugi from the past did not resonate kindly with the pigtailed girl, and it took all of her willpower to not let even the tiniest tinge of jealousy appear on her face. A difficult feat, since Yumi's emotions always showed up on her face in one way or another, and she spent most of her high school days being relentlessly teased by Sei and Yoshino for it.

"_Onee-sama_, you know Mugi-chan?" asked Yumi of her _grande soeur_, trying her best to keep neutrality in her tone.

"Yes. My father and her father were business associates once. Tsumugi's father stopped bringing her along to meetings with my father due to… certain reasons, if I recall correctly. "

Mugi nodded and said,

"However, my father started to bring me to a few of his meetings and cocktails a few years after that, though that was after the business partnership between our fathers had ended. It's been far too long, Sachiko-_neesan_. What a wonderful coincidence; we're classmates in Economics 11! I'm quite surprised I didn't notice you in the lecture hall even though it already was the fourth meeting this week."

"The same on my end, Tsumugi. I did not notice you either, and I consider it fortunate that Yumi here thought of bringing me here. Has she introduced you to her friends? I used to be their _senpai_ at the Yamayurikai at Lillian's high school affiliate," replied Sachiko.

"Yes. Shimako-san is quite the charming person, and Yoshino-san is really energetic and funny," chuckled Mugi. _"She reminded me so much of Ricchan, though no one would ever be able to replace her as the go-to boisterous person in my thoughts."_

"Yumi-san is fortunate to have friends like them. I hope I can fit in well with them as well."

"Well, Yoshino-san can get a bit annoying at times," muttered Yumi under her breath.

Sachiko heard Yumi's comment and chuckled slightly, still maintaining her dignified posture. Taking her coat off, she sat on Yumi's bed, directly across Mugi who had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Be glad she's such a good friend, Yumi. Besides, she's like that to everyone. Try to think how Rei feels."

Yumi inwardly groaned at that, thinking how incredible Hasekura Rei must be to put up with Yoshino, who not only was her _petite soeur, _but her first cousin as well.

"So Tsumugi, what have you been up to since middle school?" asked Sachiko, gesturing for Yumi to sit on the bed beside her.

"The last year of middle school was unbelievably boring, but high school was the time of my life," said Mugi happily. "I met my four best friends there, and we revived the school's Light Music Club. I'm their keyboardist."

"That's surprising. I thought you'd stick to classical music, Tsumugi," said Sachiko thoughtfully.

"I regret nothing. Being in a band… it was a wonderful experience, and it made high school the happiest years I've ever had. Having tea, eating cake, and writing songs were so much fun," said Mugi fervently. _"I also fell in love… That one definitely takes the cake. Had I not agreed to Ricchan and Mio-chan, the club would never have taken off, and I would never have met _sensei_…"_

"I guess that's good then," said Sachiko. "Having a fun high school life… I can agree with that, right Yumi?"

"M-Me?" replied Yumi in surprise at being addressed.

Sachiko smiled, her posture and facial features softening when she turned to Yumi. "Of course, Yumi. You're my little sister…"

"…_and girlfriend," _thought Sachiko but didn't say. "Thanks to this person here, Tsumugi, I've loosened up a lot since those days. I haven't been called uptight by the servants at home in three years."

"Don't call me 'this person', _onee-sama! _Mugi-chan, have you and your friends ever held a concert or anything like that?" asked Yumi in curiosity, thinking that it'd be cool if her current roommate had had successful performances.

"Well, I don't know if it counts but we participated in a Live House competition around a year and a half ago. It was a lot of fun, even if we didn't win," replied Mugi, a tinge of reminiscence in her voice.

Mugi's thoughts turned inward to that winter last year, where they participated in that competition and they had all been inspired by other bands to do their best. Their conquest for Budokan was only beginning, a journey that Houkago Tea Time would undertake at their own pace, on their own terms.

She was somewhat unsure though, since the band was currently split into three, with herself at Lillian University, Mio, Ritsu, and Yui together, while Azusa remained in Sakura High School with both Ui and Jun. She remembered the promise they all made that day so long ago, that they'd play at Budokan someday. Composing herself, she told Sachiko and Yumi.

"Our band's dream… is to play at Budokan someday," she said quietly. "But right now, we're all apart from each other. I don't know how those older_ onee-sans_ do it. How can they find time to practice when they'd probably be going to different universities from one another?"

"Don't worry about it for now, Mugi-chan. The mere fact that you're in a band is amazing to me. Keep going forward, and success will be within your grasp eventually. Take things at your own pace, so to speak. Forgive me for my presumptuousness, but I think that it matters not when, but how and with whom. You'll get there eventually," said Yumi kindly.

Sachiko looked at her _petite soeur_, her mouth agape in shock.

"Excuse me, Rosa Chinensis, how did you get so sage-like in a year away from me?" she asked Yumi teasingly.

Yumi blushed in embarrassment and replied,

"Well _onee-sama_, you know how… p-popular I was. I had to uphold the reliable image you projected, you know."

Oh indeed, Yumi had been popular with the women of Lillian Girls' Academy. The annual Valentine's Day Yamayurikai Rose card hunt two years had had hordes of smitten girls scrambling across the campus to find the red card that corresponded to the Rosa Chinensis en bouton. When found, the finder was allotted a date with Yumi as a reward. Two years ago, when she was still a bouton, she had deftly hidden the red card under herself while she was seated, having tea with the current crop of _petite soeur_ prospects. It was the current Rosa Chinensis, Matsudaira Touko, who had found the card, beating Sachiko to it by mere seconds.

"You're a pretty charismatic person, Yumi-san. I'm not really surprised," replied Mugi. "Sometimes I wish I could get the spotlight every now and then. When we had our concerts at the school's founders' festival, it was our two vocalists, Mio-chan and Yui-chan who got most of the attention. Of course we all shared the spotlight, but then Mio-chan has this fanclub at our high school that was formed way back when we were freshmen."

Chuckling, Mugi recounted to Yumi and Sachiko how Mio had tripped over a microphone wire that fateful day, thus sealing her fate with the formation of the Akiyama Mio fanclub. Yumi laughed out loud while Sachiko had a thoughtful look on her face, imagining what it would have been like if Yumi had tripped over in a manner that would expose her underwear to the Yamayuri—

"_Onee-sama_, why are you blushing? Are you not feeling well?" inquired Yumi, poking Sachiko in her left cheek.

Sachiko, who had zoned out on thoughts involving Yumi tripping, Hosokawa Kanako, and some string, abruptly returned to reality when poked, covering up her blush with a cough.

"Oh, it's no big deal, Yumi. So, Tsumugi, what would you like to do this fine afternoon? Classes are all over and the weekend begins now. Would you like to join Yumi and I for a cup of tea?" asked Sachiko, changing the subject deftly.

Mugi shook her head and replied,

"I've actually made plans to meet up with my bandmates this afternoon, near our neighborhood. I'll have to take the train if I want to get there in an hour; I don't want to trouble my chauffeur so much."

_More like I really don't want to abuse and flaunt my wealth._

"I see, then. In that case, I shall be seeing you around Tsumugi. Come, Yumi," said Sachiko. "Would you like some ice cream or tea today?"

"Whatever works for you, _onee-sama_," said Yumi, as she and Sachiko stood up, the latter putting her coat back on. "That being said, Mugi-chan, please lock up after you leave, alright? If it's not too much trouble though, I'd like to listen to you play something soon!"

The pigtailed brunette gestured at Mugi's Korg, which was carefully placed in its leather carrying case, leaning against Mugi's closet.

"Sure, Yumi-san, I can do that sometime," replied Mugi, happy that someone here in this far off university wanted to listen to her play her tunes.

"Oh by the way, Tsumugi," interjected Sachiko as she stood in the open doorway. "Whenever you have trouble, come to me. My arms are open if you need any assistance. I know a few people in the school's administration, just so you know."

Mugi nodded as Sachiko smiled, turning around and then leaving, with Yumi following in her wake.

The blonde opened her closet and took out a wide-brimmed hat, noting that the afternoon sun was intensifying as it was nearing two-thirty in the afternoon. Taking her keys and bag, she locked up the room and left, idly wondering what on earth had possessed Sachiko to wear a coat in this kind of weather.

/

"Mio, Mugi said that she'd be here in twenty minutes," said Ritsu, holding up her phone and showing the newly-received message to Mio, who was seated beside Ritsu and Yui in a McDonald's chain near Sakura High School.

It was a quarter past three in the afternoon, and the unusually pervasive heat outside had the three thankful that they were in an air-conditioned fast-food restaurant. Mio and Ritsu had come from their last class, Philosophy, while Yui had come from her first year culinary arts class, which was basic appreciation and understanding of major world cuisines. Their university was much closer to Sakura High School than Lillian, so they'd decided to take their time, telling Mugi to text them when she was half an hour away by her estimate.

Mio was perusing a printout on Immanuel Kant while Ritsu was watching Yui play Tekken 6 on her newly acquired PSP, a gift from her parents for graduating. Though Ui was understandably apprehensive of giving her older sister such a gadget, in the end, she decided to put her faith in her older sister, since the training that she herself had asked for was a sign that she was willing to mature and think of important things other than food and Gitah.

Yui herself knew that she had to grow up at some point. The accident Azusa had a few weeks ago was the major eye-opener that had convinced her that she had to change her ways. After all, Charles Darwin said that only the fittest survive. Thus, it was logical that she became fit, so as not to be drowned and defeated by the grueling tasks involved in housekeeping.

"Say Ritsu, how's Satoshi been lately? Has he gotten any better at the drums?" asked Mio absentmindedly, turning a page.

"Oh yeah, he certainly has, since I'm the one teaching him," replied Ritsu smugly. "You know how that goes, Mio. Hell, he even mastered half of _Utauyo! Miracle's_ drumming in just two days."

"You're giving yourself too much credit, idiot," said Mio, gently patting Ritsu on the head with her printout. "Haven't you considered that the guy might even be better than you are on the drums? I mean, his learning curve is definitely gentler than yours. He hasn't had any major difficulties in learning, so far, right?"

Ritsu nodded glumly and said,

"Well, we're both good drummers, and that's what matters."

"That's the spirit, Ritsu," said Mio with a smile on her face.

All she could do right now was to keep Ritsu happy, and encouraging her talents was just one of the many, many things she could do to accomplish that objective. While Ritsu continued to watch Yui play, she remembered their graduation party, and the act she had committed that night. To her, it felt like she was sealing a contract with herself and with Ritsu. A contract she vowed she'd keep… until the target decided to sever it.

_Would she even accept me as a romantic partner? The alcohol spurred me on, and she was probably drunk as well, which is why she isn't avoiding me or anything like that._

The raven-haired bassist inwardly sighed, unsure on how to drop the bomb that she was also into girls and that she romantically lusted after her best friend.

_Not just romantically, no._

She was a healthy girl after all, and her parents, the Akiyamas, hadn't held back on the typical rigors of basic sex education. It was that time after all; their daughter was headed towards university, so the most they could tell her was "please don't get pregnant on us" and "make sure he has a condom if you really decide you want it".

Unbeknownst to her, Ritsu was also partially of the same persuasion, and the fact that these two couldn't decide on how to tell their best friend about it would be a source of uncertainty between the two of them for quite some time.

"Guess what Ricchan," said Yui enthusiastically as she landed a Dragon Uppercut on Ganryu using Heihachi. "I looked up some nice recipes in some of my textbooks a few days ago and I learned how to make spaghetti al pesto. It's actually pretty easy."

"Seriously Yui, how much better did you get thanks to that one-week of in-depth training you had with Ui?" asked Ritsu in a half-skeptical, half-amused tone.

"Well, when I was making the pesto sauce, the only mistake I made was to add too many Spanish capers," replied Yui nonchalantly, setting her PSP aside and placing it gently on the tabletop beside the iron number where their receipt was taped to, a sign that their order hadn't arrived yet.

While Ritsu stared dumbly at Yui, Mio decided to ask Yui if Azusa had been coming over to her apartment room. Anyone with half a mind would've noticed how much closer those two had become ever since the accident. Once, it used to be Yui hugging Azusa while the latter struggled momentarily, before giving up in exasperation. Since that time however, she had noticed something subtly different about the dynamic the two held. She couldn't quite pin it down; though she was positive that they weren't dating or anything, she knew something had just… clicked into place.

Yui replied in a flat tone,

"Azu-nyan's been really busy lately with trying to recruit a member to the club. She's told me that she's being bullied by some students in her year. They'd leave her harassment messages in her shoe locker, and they'd keep saying that she just leeched off our talent."

Yui wrinkled her nose scornfully as a clerk approached the trio with a tray in his hands, setting down on the table the tray that held their orders: a Double Cheeseburger for Yui with cola and fries, fried chicken and rice for Ritsu, and salad with a side of fries for Mio and Mugi. Yui stowed her PSP safely in her backpack to clear the table of clutter.

"Those idiots don't even know what they're talking about. I will freely admit to anyone who asks that Azu-nyan is a much more skilled guitarist than I am," said Yui with a note of displeasure in her voice.

Ritsu glanced at Yui as she sliced her chicken; inwardly amused at the fact that three years ago, Yui would have denied such a fact to the bone, even if it killed her.

"_Even folks who appear immature do have some latent maturity in them, huh…," _thought the drummer.

Such thoughts bade well for her, since on the exterior, she was such an irresponsible tomboy, but that night… she had honestly felt the strength of Atlas himself in her fervor to reciprocate Mio's promise.

She hadn't forgotten the kiss either; anyone with a sane mind wouldn't have. She didn't want to get her hopes up though; after all, it could've been spurred on by the fear of university and alcohol combined in one fell swoop.

"Azu-nyan even called me up that night, crying. It was Tuesday, and the entire situation just ruined my nice mood since the only full class we had that day was our Algebra class with Satsuki-_sensei_. She told me how she felt like everyone was out to get her. Some of the perpetrators were even members of your fan club, Mio-chan," said Yui disgustedly. "I promise; that was the first time in my life I wanted to hit somebody with Gitah, and you know that I don't want to do that using Gitah."

The brunette's hands were shaking in contempt, as she bit a large chunk of cheeseburger, downing it with a gulp of cola.

"I just hope she can hang in there…," said Yui worriedly, calming down after that huge chunk of meat had been swallowed. "It's just so… frustrating that I can't do anything for Azu-nyan."

Mio and Ritsu both nodded sagely as the former packed her printout away, motioning for Ritsu to pass her a fork so she could begin consuming her salad.

"They need a drummer, right?" asked Mio as she poured Thousand-Island dressing all over her greens.

Ritsu nodded and said,

"If only Satoshi was a girl and went to Sakura High, this wouldn't be a problem."

Mio and Yui laughed at that remark, with the former saying that he'd lose some of his charm points if he was a girl instead of a guy.

"Hello everyone!" came a voice that could only belong to a certain keyboardist, though it seemed to be tinged with something that Mio couldn't place.

/

Mugi had entered the restaurant at exactly three thirty-five in the afternoon when her eyes immediately located her three friends: Mio, wearing jeans and a white shirt, Yui, wearing a lime-green t-shirt and shorts, and Ritsu, wearing jeans and a… blouse?

Her surprise at Ritsu's attire was washed away by the laughter that the three exhibited simultaneously. A wave of melancholy momentarily washed over her, seeing her friends so happy despite her absence.

_Well, I'm glad to see them happy, and yet… Why do I feel a bit saddened by the fact that they can be that happy without me being there? It's like I'm just a side-character, even though that's not how they feel._

The ojou shoved those intrusive thoughts out of her head when she called out to them in a happy tone, though the undercurrent of sadness could still be felt in her greeting.

"Sup, Mugi?" said Ritsu, saluting her with a chicken drumstick in her right hand.

"Hi Mugi," said Mio warmly, a genuine smile across her face.

"Mugi-chan! How I've missed you!" wailed Yui, who immediately hugged Mugi's arm the moment she came within reaching distance of the brunette.

"_Looks like there's nothing to worry about in that department, _" thought the keyboardist happily. "_Though I'm seriously beginning to wonder if I can last in Lillian University away from them. Despite the wonderful people I've found in Yumi-san and her friends, as well as Sachiko-_neesan_, Houkago Tea Time will always be special._"

"Mugi… Mugi!" half-shouted Ritsu, which shook Mugi out of her daze. "Is the weather getting to you? It's freakin' hot today! Good idea wearing that hat."

"Sit over here Mugi-chan," said Yui, patting the seat beside her. "I also ordered your salad, like you told Ricchan over the phone."

"Thanks, Yui-chan," she nodded, feeling very relieved that she was able to feel so at home again among the three girls. "Ricchan, what's with the blouse, by the way?"

The drummer nearly spat out her spoonful of chicken when Mio replied in her stead.

"Beats me; she just showed up today wearing that. Some bastards in our Philosophy class said she'd look better in a dress to compensate for being such an 'annoying toerag'."

Mio gestured in the air with her fingers indicating air quotes, a note of contempt in her voice. "Really Ritsu, you should know better than to listen to stuck up university _senpai_."

"I don't know Mio, I just mindlessly got the first blouse I could lay my hands on in my closet," said Ritsu absently.

"Lies; I bet you had to search your closet for a blouse to begin with," retorted Mio half-heartedly.

She could relate to what Yui was talking about earlier when she said that she wanted to hit the people bullying Azusa with Gitah. Those stuck up _senpai_ were noisy themselves and when they were caught by the professor, they laid the blame on Ritsu, who just happened to be facing Yui.

She decided to cool her head; her promise to Ritsu wasn't worth making a scene in class for something she assumed her best friend would just brush aside.

She was proven wrong though, as evidenced by the fact that Ritsu was indeed, wearing a blouse today.

"Mugi-chan, we have a problem. Azu-nyan's being bullied," said Yui, who had just finished eating her cheeseburger. "Thanks for the meal."

She put her hand together in thanks to the gods, and she turned to Mugi, a look of unusual seriousness and ferocity on the brunette's face.

"She's being bullied because people think that she's just been leeching off of us, and as a result she can't find anyone to fill in the final spot for the club to be officially recognized once more."

Mugi gasped in shock,

"How could they? I'm sure they all saw how good Azusa-chan was at each of our concerts."

Ritsu shook her head balefully and said,

"Some of the people are apparently, Mio-fanatics. Rabid members of her fan club. They've even gone so low as to insult her height."

Yui hissed angrily and Mio nodded in agreement.

"This has gotten out of hand; mostly it's the recruitment process I believe where she'll have to endure this," said Mio thoughtfully. "Once she gets a fourth member, the hate will dilute into dislike and eventually indifference and apathy. Then, they'll all be won over once again when they hold concerts at the founders' festival."

Wracking her brains, Mugi wondered if Sawako and/or Nodoka could pull strings to let the club live on with only three members.

"Mio-chan, when is the deadline for recruitment anyway?" asked Mugi, an idea forming in her mind.

"It's actually today at five in the afternoon. Basically, she has an hour and fifteen minutes, more or less to find one more member," said Mio flatly, spearing the last bit of lettuce with her fork and eating it.

"Ricchan… How realistic would it be for Satoshi-kun to join the club?" asked Mugi.

"…can we even do that?" asked Ritsu skeptically. "I mean, he _is_ in another school in all, not to mention that Sakura is an exclusive girls high school. I really, really doubt it, if we're going by policy and such. Ability-wise, he's more than ready for the task."

"I guess it can't hurt to try," said Mugi determinedly. "I'll call _sensei_ up. Yui-chan, try to get ahold of Nodoka, see if she can pull some strings. I'll step outside for this call."

Yui nodded and took her phone out of her pocket, punching in Nodoka's number as Mugi rose and departed from the table, deciding to talk to Sawako in a more private location.

/

"_Hello, _sensei?" came Mugi's voice as Sawako answered her cellular phone.

"Oh hi Mugi-chan, what's up?" asked Sawako in a slightly weary voice.

She was the only person in the faculty room at this point in time, the rest having gone out for an afternoon snack or having gone home already.

"_Has Azusa-chan found a member yet?_"

Sawako sighed audibly, she had offered to report to the disciplinary office the situation regarding Azusa being bullied, but the twintailed guitarist had outright refused, saying that such an action would surely put an end to all their efforts to recruit a new member for the club. She had felt the desperation in Azusa's voice when she had spoken to her half an hour ago out of concern, and she was sincerely beginning to think that this entire process was plainly unhealthy for her, as well as Ui and Jun, who were also trying their best to get one more member for the club.

"No, not yet," said Sawako tiredly into her cellular phone. "She's been at it the entire week, and after those idiots left her those messages, she carried on, not willing to be discouraged. However, I can see that it's already grating on her and that this isn't good if it carries on. I think she may feel obligated to you four at this point to keep the club running; and I think that time you guys visited me when I was sick drove the point even further home, since Norimi and the rest of DEATH DEVIL showed up that day."

"_When push comes to shove _sensei_, the four of us think that it's okay for Azusa-chan to just drop it, if she'll endanger herself and cause herself unhappiness,_" said Mugi fervently.

Sawako smiled; the solidarity Houkago Tea Time had was to be envied, doubtless. She felt pained that despite all the support and concern, Azusa still couldn't catch a break. Why some of the girls in her year decided to turn on her was a mystery to her, but she suspected it involved Mio's fan club.

_Man, that club has people so obsessed with Mio-chan that they even rival _otaku_…_

"_In any case, _sensei_, we have an idea, but we may need to pull some strings for this to work. Our idea is to have Ricchan's brother, Satoshi-kun, be the fourth member of the club. We just need to get approval from the school administration, and we need some help from your end._"

Sawako pondered the thought: a boy visiting a girl's high school for a band. Back in the day, it would've flown, no problem, but these days, she had a bad feeling that it wouldn't be approved.

"I'll go talk to the principal now and I'll try to discreetly bring up the matter of bullying; see if it can sway him to our cause_,_" replied Sawako. "In the meantime, sit tight there; I'll call you back if anything happens."

"_Sawa-chan… One last thing… When can I see you again?_" came Mugi's voice softly, as though she were whispering into a sleeping baby's ears.

Sawako perked up at Mugi's words and remained silent for a heartbeat, before replying.

"After this recruitment business is settled, one way or another… I'll let you know when I'm free after class. But not on days where your first class is early, alright? I know how long the commute is, whether by train or whether a chauffeur drives you."

"_Thank you, _sensei_. Good bye._"

Mugi hung up and Sawako proceeded to the administrative office, hoping that the principal would consent to Tainaka Satoshi's entrance to the school grounds after hours to participate in club activities.

/

Six in the evening, at Sakura High School: Nakano Azusa stood solitarily in front of the gates, dejection evident on her face. Two hours ago, Sawako had texted her about the plan that the four _senpai_ had come up with; to get Tainaka Satoshi permission to enter the school after hours so that he could be the club's fourth member.

Permission to enter was indeed, granted. However, the principal told Sawako that for a club to be official, the club must have at least four members _from Sakura High School. _Satoshi obviously didn't fall into that category, and no matter how Sawako tried to… _grease_ things, the plan just didn't follow through. Sure, Satoshi could enter the campus, but the Light Music Club would just be demoted into an unofficial organization in any case. Funding, lodging, the works, all rendered null.

The most Sawako could do was to offer to take Ton-chan home and take care of it. She didn't even say anything about the Pacifica that she had bought for Ui. Azusa remembered numbly nodding, before feeling Sawako's hand pat her gently on the head.

"_You tried your best, Azusa. You endured everything those people threw at you, and you did your best. No need to be so hard on yourself, okay? I'm sure Yui-chan and the others feel the same way,_" Sawako had said.

Despair seemingly etched into her very being, she began to wander aimlessly away from the school before reorienting herself to a destination she realized she wanted to go to badly.

Yui's apartment. She was glad that she asked Ui for Yui's address, and she noted that it wasn't so far. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough money for a cab to take her there, so she trudged on foot towards her destination, failure and sadness enveloping her being.

After ten minutes of gloomy, solitary walking, rain began to fall. It wasn't so strong, but it wasn't too weak either. Azusa was far too immersed in her own thoughts to take her umbrella out, so when she reached the block where Yui's apartment was located twenty minutes later, she was drenched from head to toe. Yui was lodged in room 206, so she had to ascend the wooden staircase on the exterior to reach Yui's room on the second floor.

Knocking gently on the door, she heard a voice call out in reply,

"Who is it?"

She breathed in heavily and shivered due to the wetness enveloping her entire body.

"It's me, Yui-_senpai_."

The door then abruptly opened and there stood Yui in her lime-green t-shirt.

"Hello Azu-nyan!" she said cheerfully, until she noticed that Azusa was completely and utterly wet. "What happened to you? Don't you have an umbrella with you? Come in, before you catch a cold."

Azusa followed her _senpai's_ wake, cursing the combination of humidity and being drenched in rainwater. What kind of weird weather were they having anyway? First, it was so hot and then it suddenly rains after the sun sets.

"Here's a towel; now go take that uniform off and dry yourself," commanded Yui, tossing a towel decorated with repeated patterns of green, pink, and blue dango. [1]

"But _senpai_, right in front of you…," trailed Azusa into silence.

"What are you talking about?" asked Yui, eyebrow raised. "The bathroom's that door over there."

She gestured to a door on the far side of the room, across the unkempt and messy bed. Azusa blushed furiously, realizing her words. Leaving her schoolbag at the door, she went to the bathroom. Entering it, she shut herself inside, looking at herself in the mirror as she stripped herself of her school uniform, socks, and outdoor shoes.

_Wow Nakano, you look like an utter mess. How can you show yourself to Yui-_senpai _in this state?_

"Azu-nyan, I'll be leaving some clothes on the mat outside the door, okay?" came Yui's voice from the other side of the door.

"Okay, _senpai_," she replied, toweling herself dry and washing her face, removing the ties that kept her hair in pigtails. She took a good look at Yui's bathroom and saw that it was a simple setup. There was no bathtub, only a small shower area roughly 1 square meter in area with a plexiglass sliding door separating the shower area from the rest of the bathroom, which included the toilet bowl, and the sink where Azusa washed her face. The mirror she was looking at was part of a medicine cabinet, which, upon her perusal, contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a box of floss.

_She seems to be doing fine here on her own. That's one less thing for me to worry about._

Azusa was thankful that her underwear didn't get wet; apparently, her school uniform had absorbed the worst of the rain. Quickly opening the door and retrieving the clothing, she put on jogging pants and a white shirt with a picture of Takamachi Nanoha, circa _Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS_ on the front, her pose replete in authority as she pointed Raising Heart at you in a threatening manner while her face was grimaced in determination.

"I had that kind of determination as well… And yet I failed," muttered the _kouhai _softly.

She opened the door and there was Yui, busy boiling something over at the stove in the corner nearest the door.

"Dinner will be ready in a bit Azu-nyan; come eat with me, okay?" said Yui as she stirred the linguini noodles, making sure that none of it would clump together.

Azusa nodded silently and sat at the traditional Japanese table in the very middle of the room, taking this opportunity to further survey Yui's living conditions. Upon entering the apartment room, there was a wall that blocked your view of everything, like an entrance alcove of sorts. Stepping into the room, on the immediate right was the kitchenette, where Yui was now draining the linguini of water, a small plastic can containing spaghetti al pesto sauce on her side. She reached into the cabinet on top and pulled out two dinner plates where she transferred the noodles in equality, dumping about four large tablespoonfuls of pesto sauce on the noodles in total.

As her _senpai_ began to mix the noodles, Azusa's eyes wandered further. As she was seated across Yui, directly behind her was a study desk, which had a few books on cooking and a desk lamp on it. Beside it was the refrigerator, and beside that was the television, which was directly in front of the bed. Leaning against the wall near the bathroom door was an ironing board and an unplugged flat iron.

_Just… what kind of magic did Ui work on her for her to become this domestically reliable?_

"Here we are, Azu-nyan!" said Yui happily as she placed the two plates on the low table, along with a towel and utensils. "I'm out of tissue paper, so let's just share this towel, okay? _Itadakimasu!_"

"_Itadakimasu_," echoed the _kouhai_ as she twirled the linguini and ate some. "_Senpai_, this is seriously good stuff. How did you come across this recipe?"

"I saw it on TV once, and I looked it up in my textbook," said Yui, pointing at the textbook labeled _"Italian Cuisine: an Introduction"_. "Thank goodness that these books are localized versions, Azu-nyan. I'd probably get really dizzy if these books were in English!"

Yui laughed out loud and Azusa chuckled, upon which Yui smiled hugely. "_Ah, I see where she's going. She's trying to make me forget about my failure,_" thought the _kouhai_.

The two carried on eating in silence, appreciating the taste of the pasta. After fifteen minutes, both of them were finished, and Azusa offered to do the dishes, an offer Yui refused point-blank.

"You're my guest tonight, and it'd be rude if I let my Azu-nyan do the dishes," said Yui as she washed. "_Dango, dango, dango, dango, dango, daikazoku_~"

"We're like a family, Azu-nyan. Even if you aren't able to accomplish something like recruiting one more member, I won't be disappointed in you for something like that," said Yui slowly, as she dried the plate that Azusa had used.

"But _senpai_… I promised all of you… when we visited Sawako-_sensei_ when she was sick, that the Light Music Club would live on," said Azusa sadly, tears threatening to break the dikes she had imposed on herself.

"It can't be helped, Azu-nyan," said Yui as she sat down beside Azusa at the table. "It can't be helped that some of Mio-chan's rabid fan girls are jerks. I bet everyone who kept telling you that you were no good could only _dream_ to approach your guitar skills."

"But _senpai—_" began Azusa before she was silenced by Yui's finger, resting gently on her lips

"Azu-nyan… If you want to let it all out, don't hold back. I'm here for you. Your Yui-_senpai_ is here. I always will be. I promised, remember?" said Yui softly, embracing the _kouhai_, nuzzling her neck gently.

Nakano Azusa wailed and let go a cry of anguish, letting forth her feelings of failure and despair out into Yui, who just cuddled her like a mother would her baby.

"Shh, it's okay, Azu-nyan. There there…"

Fifteen minutes later, Azusa was rubbing her eyes with the hand towel that Yui handed her, feeling embarrassed about the whole ordeal.

"Don't worry Azu-nyan, Mio-chan, Ricchan and Mugi-chan will never find out about this. It's our secret, okay?"

Azusa nodded silently, as she looked at the pink clock on Yui's bedside table. Eight in the evening.

"Oh crap, my parents are so going to kill me!" exclaimed Azusa. "It's already this late!"

"Well Azu-nyan, you better get going," said Yui, handing Azusa her schoolbag. "I'll call ahead and let them know you stopped by and ate dinner here."

She gestured to the refrigerator, where a note in green stationery had her name and home phone number on it.

"Yui-_senpai_, thanks for being here for me tonight," said Azusa with a smile on her face. "I'll talk to Ui and Jun and see if we can find a place outside school where we can practice."

"You do that, Azu-nyan," said Yui, a warm smile on her face. "Remember, my door is always open to you."

"Good night _senpai!_" said Azusa. "You really feel more like a _senpai_ to me now."

"Haha, that's good to hear, Azu-nyan! To seal the deal, here's another secret I want to keep between you and me," said Yui, who Azusa noticed was hiding something behind her back.

Without warning, she leaned towards Azusa and kissed her on the cheek, stuffing a light package into Azusa's hands.

"Good night, Azu-nyan!" said Yui happily, a trace of a blush on her face as she pushed Azusa away, shutting the door instantly.

Azusa remained rooted to the spot, her right hand going to the spot on her left cheek that Yui kissed so quickly and gently.

_Did _senpai_ really just…_

After a minute of standing there, frozen, she remembered that she was running late and that she might get an earful from her parents for being out this late. Hastily making her way down the stairs, she noticed a small brown envelope in her left hand.

"What did Yui-_senpai_ give me…," muttered Azusa thoughtfully as she opened the envelope.

Inside it was a small iron key.

/

_[1] – The Dango Daikazoku from __**Clannad**__, representing Tomoya, Nagisa, and Ushio._

_I think I'd rather not give hints as to what will happen next time, to allow myself more flexibility in planning._

_I feel satisfied with the thematic use of family in this context. Hope you all liked this. Read and review please! :)_


	7. Hyperactive

_Sorry for the wait; planning has been kinda tough, and I've been enrolling for my second semester so times have been hard and not much left in the way of writing._

_Chapter is relatively short, as it's the beginning of a new arc, sort of. We won't be seeing much of the _kouhai_ for now._

_**Bolded words **__are in English. __Italicized words are either thoughts or song lyrics or someone on the opposite phone line; the context should be fairly obvious._

/

**Hyperactive**

"So that's how it's going to go down, huh?" said Mio casually as she, Ritsu and Yui made their way to College English, one of their other common classes.

"Yeah," replied Ritsu as she flung her arms behind her head. "Azusa's going to form a band with Ui, Jun and Satoshi anyway, and they'll be meeting every so often after school and on weekends."

"Of course, Azu-nyan said that her priority is still us, Houkago Tea Time," cut in Yui, who took a bottle of water out of her bag and began to sip from it. "Cool water's always good on a hot day."

"Say Yui, I heard from Azusa that you comforted her when she was depressed over the Light Music Club being disbanded," said Mio, an eyebrow raised as the three entered the lecture hall and took seats at the middle-far-right side. "From what I can tell when she was telling me about it, you two must've been so love-love, at the bare minimum."

"Well," said Yui, poking her index fingers together in embarrassment. "It's not even a secret to you guys anymore, and I actually don't think it ever was, anyway. But I can say honestly we're not like that yet. I haven't formally asked Azu-nyan yet, so I guess it'll come in time, I hope. Just like Mugi-chan's cake and tea!"

Ritsu sighed in amusement; here she goes again with the food. As if on cue, Yui opened her backpack and took out a small pack of cookies.

"Want some? I bought these from the bakery in the neighborhood I'm in," said Yui happily, offering the cookies and crème cookies to Mio and Ritsu, taking one as she did.

The drummer and bassist took the proffered cookies and munched on them quietly, while Yui was talking about what she had newly learned in her Culinary Arts courses. Inwardly, Mio was looking around the hall, paying only half-attention to Yui. People were still milling around or chatting, as the English professor wasn't around yet. While Ritsu and Yui continued to talk about the niceties and complications in cooking Shanghai fried rice, she noticed a few boys looking in their direction, whispering to each other while trying not to draw too much attention to themselves.

Mio raised an eyebrow, curious at these boys who were clearly looking at one of them. Following the eyes of one of them who was far to engrossed to notice, she concluded that they were staring at Ritsu, who was boisterously talking about that mixed-martial arts match she had seen the night before, while Yui dramatically cringed as she was explaining the techniques she had seen put to use in the match.

The raven-haired girl turned to her two friends, sizing them up in her eyes to attempt to determine what about Ritsu was drawing the attention of other people in an unfavorable manner. Today, she was wearing a plain yellow shirt and jeans, while Yui was wearing jeans and another pink shirt, this time with a picture of a slice of cake on the front. Satisfied that it wasn't her appearance that was drawing the boys attention, she turned to them and said,

"Why don't you two tone down the level of your discussion? You might be bugging other people or something…"

In a louder voice, she said,

"Hey Ritsu, did you hear about the latest soap opera twists?"

Ritsu looked at Mio as though she had just eaten a horse in one bite and she scratched her head in confusion. Mio stuck her face mere inches from Ritsu's and said,

"Play along as though we're talking about that stuff with Yui. Just do it."

Ritsu nodded despite being confused, while Yui was all-too happy to talk about one where the girl the guy was sleeping with turned out to be his own long-lost mother. While Ritsu cringed from that kind of revelation, Mio looked at the boys who were whispering and staring earlier and to her satisfaction, they had turned away from them.

"_I wonder what about Ritsu is making them do that… This stuff also happened in Philosophy class where she was blamed for something she didn't do…_," thought the bassist. "_She even wore a dress like those assholes said!_"

A loud _crack_ resounded throughout the entire hall that sent students scrambling for their seats.

"Class is now going to begin, fellas, so don't give me a hard time today," said their short-haired teacher, who wore a green jumper and black-and-yellow striped clothing, a _shinai_ in hand.

"Yes, Fujimura-_sensei_," replied the class in unison.

When she had turned around to write something on the whiteboard, the whispers ensued again.

"There she goes again, being a Tiger…"

"…transferred here after being fired by her old school…"

"…heard that she had voluntarily left after her ward was discovered having sex with a girl in his own house…"

"…someone named Matou…"

Fujimura Taiga[1] was indeed, in a foul mood these days, and Mio was very aware of this. From the first day she had entered their English class, immediately declaring that no one should _ever_ call her "Tiger", Mio had pulled Ritsu and Yui aside and told them sternly to behave in this class, for their own physical safety.

Taiga had gone on to remind everyone that she had a 5th dan in kendo, and even the normally cocky Ritsu swallowed in fear and decided to be good in this class.

The class proceeded uneventfully and Ritsu turned to Mio,

"Say, do you think I should join a club? Of course, the band still is my utmost priority, but I think I'd like to join a sports club, like say, the volleyball club."

Mio thought about it and Ritsu is quite athletic, despite her lack of height relative to herself. She was abundant in energy, willpower, and she does have a work ethic when it came to extracurriculars. She sighed though, wishing that Ritsu would have the same kind of motivation for academics.

"Say Yui, what do you thi—"

Mio cut herself off when she saw Hirasawa Yui sleeping peacefully beside Ritsu, her backpack placed on the desk in front of her.

"Typical," said Ritsu. "Then again, maybe she's dreaming about Azusa. I mean, it was only last last Friday when she came over to her apartment soaking wet, and it's been, what, twelve days since then?"

"It could also be this tropical hot and humid weather we've been having recently," interjected Mio. "Even I feel sleepy in this heat…"

The drummer sighed and wished that she could join their guitarist in the land of Morpheus, but she knew that she had to stay awake and listen, as Mio wouldn't always have the time to help her out in her studies. Though she may appear carefree, Ritsu was also trying her best to do better in her studies. Nowadays, she's cut down the hours she spent reading manga and talking with Mio on the phone from three down to one and a half. Summing everything up, she averaged about an hour and a half on studying, which was a dramatic improvement from the amount of time she had invested in the same every night during high school.

She knew that she couldn't be a burden on Mio forever; and her heart ached in sadness when she considered the day that Mio finally left her for a boy.

"_I don't know if I can take it, honestly… I'm positive that I'm in love with her, else I won't be feeling distressed about this matter._"

The drummer brushed those thoughts aside, writing down what Taiga had written on the blackboard.

"**I went to a bar and bought myself a drink**," intoned Ritsu slowly and softly as she copied the sentence that Taiga had written into a small notebook.

Mio looked sidelong at her but didn't give her any more thought as she turned back to the front of the class and continued to listen intently. Internally, she was happy that Ritsu was doing her best on her own without immediately resorting to help from her. It was exactly the kind of trait she had admired in Ritsu for as long as she could remember. It also occurred to her that she had been seeing the sleek black notebook that Ritsu was writing in more and more frequently.

The period carried on uneventfully until the bell rang, upon which the three decided to make their way towards the cafeteria to get a bite to eat in the case of Ritsu.

Upon arrival, Ritsu was pleased to see that the line at the bread stall wasn't that long. She bade Mio and Yui find seating for them while she went to purchase her favorite _soba-pan _and _tonkatsu-pan_. In front of her were a couple of guys and a girl who she recognized were in their Philosophy and English classes.

The three had purchased their bread and were heading out when one of the boys noticed Ritsu and muttered under his breath,

"Oh. It's the loudmouthed tomboy."

Ritsu froze upon hearing those words and turned to face the boy in displeasure when she had realized that the group of three had walked on. Annoyed, she continued to glare at their backs until a coughing sound broke her from her anger-induced reverie.

"Excuse me miss, but other people are behind you in the line," said the cafeteria lady gently.

Ritsu, startled, apologized and said,

"One _yakisoba-pan _and one _tonkatsu -pan_ please!"

The old lady handed her the items she had requested in a plastic bag and said,

"That'll be 250 yen please."

Ritsu paid up and proceeded to eat lunch with both Mio and Yui, who were seated at a three person table at the far corner of the cafeteria.

"Itadakimasu!" said the three girls in unison as they began to dig into their respective meals.

"Ooh, let's see how well I made today's beef steak…," said Yui excitedly. "I even got up a bit earlier than usual to tenderize the beef with a meat mallet I bought at the supermarket."

"You're really getting good at this stuff, Yui. Last year, this stuff would've been impossible for you," said Ritsu enthusiastically, clapping Yui's back with her hand.

"Hard work, Ricchan, hard work. I just keep telling myself that it's just like learning how to play Gitah. With that mindset, I feel like I could do anything right now. It's also what drove me to really assume the _senpai_ role when Azu-nyan came over last last Friday. Actually, I was scared that I'd fail her but given the way things turned out, I'm glad I was able to be there for her," said Yui happily, eating a piece of beef. "Hmm, not too bad; do you two want to have some?"

Mio and Ritsu took up Yui's offer and had some of her lunch, after which they were heaping praises on Yui for cooking something like this for the first time but being able to do it pretty well.

"Looks like Ui's rubbing off onto you, Yui," said Ritsu amusedly. "Azusa must be lucky; being able to eat this stuff all the time."

That's when the three stopped dead, the air growing dead due to Ritsu's comment. "Well, maybe," said Yui shyly, breaking the silence. "But not anytime soon…"

Mio, on the other hand felt severely disturbed. _I wonder if I'll have a chance at being with her._

But like time and time again, Mio felt more comfortable with the current status quo, and kept to herself, idly wondering when she would have the courage to break the status quo as the trio consumed their meals.

"Toilet! I'll be back quickly," said Yui, who immediately stood up and ran for the toilet, nearly barreling over another student.

""Man, she's such a handful," said Ritsu, who then sighed. "Hey Mio…"

Mio turned to the drummer and was perplexed by the look of melancholy on her face, a look that she normally didn't have.

"What's wrong, Ritsu?" she replied in a tender voice.

Ritsu ate the last of her bread and sipped some water from her cafeteria glass and replied in a subdued tone,

"Two guys and a girl from our English and Philosophy classes walked past me earlier, and one of the guys called me a 'loudmouthed tomboy.'"

"_They've got to be the same people staring at Ritsu earlier. I don't get it; I thought in college no one really cared about these sorts of things," _thought the bassist as she was unsure on how to console her friend other than completely deny the words that had come from those men.

"Don't get affected by their words Ritsu. I know that you were also affected by the words you heard in our Philosophy class two weeks ago, hence the dress you wore the next day. You're great the way you are, Ritsu," said the bassist, trying her best to reassure her best friend.

"But I _know_ I'm loud and tomboyish, Mio," said Ritsu. "I don't get why people have problems with that. At least I'm not some elementary school student who tried to seduce her teacher.[2]"

"Even so, Ritsu is Ritsu. If you change just because of those words, then you're not the Ritsu I know and love," said Mio who, upon realizing what she had just said, clapped her hands over her mouth and blushed furiously.

Ritsu's jaw dropped and Mio regained her composure.

"Uh yeah, love platonically, that's right! Heh heh…," chuckled Mio nervously.

"Right, right," said Ritsu, laughing when Yui suddenly returned. "All done Yui? Let's go then; Mio and I have to head to our Philosophy class now."

"I'll walk you guys there," replied Yui, who slung her backpack and proceeded to walk ahead of the two of them.

Ritsu s tood up with Mio following in her wake, and perhaps a small burst of courage had Mio grasp Ritsu's hand in her own. The sandy-haired drummer looked at Mio with a look of inquiry, to which Mio just replied with a resolute nod.

From a few feet away, Yui just looked at the two of them and smiled widely.

/

"Hello, Azu-nyan? It's me," said Yui as she was lounging in her bed that night, reading a volume of the _Aoi Hana _manga_. _"How was practice with Ui, Jun and Satoshi-kun?"

"_It was great _senpai_; Jun's a pretty good bassist too while Ui is just getting better and better at lead guitar. Satoshi-kun's pretty good too; Ritsu-_senpai_ must've taught him well._"

Yui sat up and frowned,

"How come you didn't take lead guitar, Azu-nyan?"

"_I felt comfortable with being second guitar due to being second guitar to you, Yui-_senpai_. I thought it would be appropriate that another Hirasawa would lead us. Of course, Ui's also proficient at keyboard so if whatever we're doing necessitates that instrument, we could always change roles. Sawako-_sensei_ was able to acquire a spare keyboard for the band's use under conditions of a special agreement._"

Yui smiled but remembered that Azusa couldn't see her through the phone. "Good work, Azu-nyan! If only I could hug people over the phone, I would've done so already."

"_Same on my end, _senpai_,_" replied the _kouhai_. "_Oh yeah, um… if it's not too much trouble, can I come over on Friday?_"

Yui laughed loud, the mirth encompassing her and bringing tears to her eyes.

"Senpai…?" came Azusa's voice through the phone.

"Azu-nyan, you're being silly. Remember what I told you last time? You're welcome here anytime. That's why I gave you my key, remember?"

"…_right, _senpai…_ Oh yes, thank you for letting us use your room for practice,_" said Azusa.

"Of course, that's not a problem at all. I'll be seeing you on Friday, or if you decide to come earlier, then whenever that is. Good night, Azu-nyan," said the guitarist cheerfully.

"_Good night, Yui-_senpai_,_" said the _kouhai_ as she hung up.

Yui just lay back down on her bed and smiled widely before resuming reading _Aoi Hana_. "Hmm, that Yasuko's kind of aggressive, isn't she…"

/

"…_tashika na kiseki o okosu mahou deeee…,_" finished Mugi as she finished up the final keystrokes that the piano arrangement of the song she had composed entailed.[3]

Yumi stood up from her bed and clapped as hard as she could, her eyes wide in amazement at Mugi's skills on the keyboard.

"Thank you very much, Yumi-san," said Mugi as she stepped away from her Korg and bowed to her audience of one.

"That was very beautiful, Mugi-chan," said Yumi. "I was moved by the lyrics, the elegance of the piece, everything! It's like the 76 elves were all under command by your elegant fingers. I'm so happy to have a wonderfully talented roommate."

Mugi blushed at the compliments Yumi was hurling at her one after the other and she said,

"Yumi-san, you're embarrassing me… This is only the piano arrangement of the song; it's meant to be played with the band, so that's drums, 2 guitars, and a bass in addition to me. It's definitely better when done that way."

Inwardly, the ojou sighed, thinking once more about the trio that she was separated from, and their _kouhai_, whom she had heard was all ready to form a band with Ui, Jun, and Satoshi, Ritsu's brother.

The feeling of longing returned once again to Tsumugi's heart; lately, it seemed that it was becoming a more frequent mainstay in her feelings. She truly missed her band, even after getting to know and hanging out with Yumi and her friends, including her old friend Sachiko whom she hadn't seen for years.

It was only three weeks into the first semester and already she felt very troubled. Every cloud had a silver lining, however, and while Yumi excused herself to get herself some water from the hallway dispenser, she took her phone out and giggled at the hundreds of messages she had from Sawako. If there was one person she was in contact in, it was her former homeroom teacher and the person she could truly say that she loved romantically. Content as she was with her current relationship with her _sensei_, she still felt a void whenever she thought of the rest of Houkago Tea Time.

The dorm room door opened and entered Yumi with, to Mugi's surprise, Yoshino and Shimako.

"Yoshino-san, Toudou-san, what are you two doing here at this time of night?" asked the keyboardist, although she was inwardly pleased that Yumi brought more company to the room.

Mugi noticed that Shimako had a thermos with her and that both Yumi and Yoshino were bringing out the traditional Japanese table from under the mantel.

"Let's have a tea party, Tsumugi-san," said Yoshino excitedly. "Yumi-san here also told me how good you are at the keyboard. Shimako-san and I would like to hear you do so, if it's not any trouble for you."

Shimako nodded in agreement and said,

"I'd like to hear it too, Tsumugi-san. When Yumi-san called both of us earlier, she was bobbing on her toes in excitement."

At these words, Yumi blushed and began to pour tea into four cups for them all. "Go on, Mugi-chan," said Yumi, as she finished pouring tea and the three girls sat at the low-rise table in the center of the room.

Mugi stood up and proceeded to stand before her Korg. _Perhaps I'll play the piano arrangement of Honey Sweet Tea Time in appropriateness of the moment._

Her decision made, she began to tap the notes out, all the while thinking of the friends she had left behind and of the _sensei_ that she had fallen in love with, wondering when she would have the opportunity to advance their relationship.

"_hachimitsu iro no gogo ga sugiteku… honey sweet tea time…," _sang the keyboardist softly while Yumi, Shimako, and Yoshino looked on in awe at the elegance she was exuding.

Sensei…_ I really miss you._

/

_[1] – Fujimura Taiga from __**Fate/stay night**__. Who says I can't have more than one transferee teacher? :)_

_[2] – Kokonoe Rin from __**Kodomo no Jikan**__._

_[3] – The song is __**Dear My Keys ~Kenban no Mahou~ **__which is one of Mugi's character songs._

_In case it still isn't obvious, a lot of Mugi's character development is hinging on how well she adjusts to her time in Lillian University._

_As for Mitsu, you may notice that I'm playing the gay-angst card a lot; but there's going to be an interesting resolution to all this. I already have it planned out, and it'll come in due time._


	8. By Your Side

_Hello once again! Now, I've noticed that people haven't been reviewing much, and that leaves me confused as to how well I've been doing. If you guys don't speak up and leave criticism and suggestions, I wouldn't know how to improve my work, right? That being said, I'm hopeful to get a few more reviews this time around, since I know you all have been reading my fic in one way or another. Hopefully, the reviews will benefit everyone._

_For the time being, I've decided to alter my writing style just a tiny bit and see how well it complements things._

x~~*~~x

**By Your Side**

Excitement brimming in her blood, Hirasawa Yui set about to preparing dinner for herself and Azusa, who was coming over for the evening. The _kouhai _had obtained permission from her parents to sleep over at Yui's apartment, and the Nakanos had consented easily, with both of them having their own individual gigs that evening. Better to be with a friend than home alone, the Nakanos thought as they saw their daughter off with a sports bag slung over her shoulder, along with her red-white Fender Mustang. The _kouhai_ had dressed lightly for the evening, wearing a tank-top and shorts, all ready and set to go with her sleepover at Yui's.

In the meantime, Yui had finished letting the miso ramen boil on the stovetop, as she thought how she could entertain Azusa that evening. She had taken Gitah out of its case and gently placed her on her bed, with her guitar amplifier sitting quietly in its corner, ready for use.

The brunette had finished dividing the miso ramen into two huge bowls for the two of them to eat when Azusa had arrived. She knew that the twin-tailed _kouhai_ was no big eater, but she was more than enough to cover her own food as well as Azusa's leftovers in the event that she failed to finish her share of the meal.

The previous evening, Azusa had texted her to inform her of some… weird things she had been noticing in her up-and-coming band, though of course Azusa was still a member of Houkago Tea Time first and foremost. For starters, Azusa had noticed how Ritsu's little brother Satoshi was acting. He wasn't used to being around so many girls at a given time, but Azusa had noticed that one girl in particular had unsettled the boy the most, and it was a certain ponytailed brunette.

Now, Yui didn't know much about Satoshi, but Ritsu occasionally brought him up in conversation, saying how well he was taking after her on the drums, and how he was currently saving up for his own used drum set. Ritsu had allowed him to share her drum set for the time being, as Houkago Tea Time wouldn't be having any performances anytime soon anyway, so better to let him get better to do his future drum set justice.

In any case, the impression that Yui got from Satoshi was he was pretty nice guy, a bit rash and headstrong, like her older sister. He was also chivalrous to girls, except her older sister, as was the standard relationship between male and female siblings.

As Yui was setting the two large bowls down onto her traditional-style table, the doorbell rang and Yui called in reply, "Who is it?"

"It's me, _senpai_," came a voice Yui knew far too well.

Having set the dinner table, Yui bounded over energetically to the door and unlocked it, letting Azusa in with her guitar and her sports bag containing her clothing for the night's stay.

"Excuse me for intruding," said Azusa, who set her guitar and bag down in the anteroom leading to the rest of Yui's room.

"Head on over to the table, Azu-nyan, dinner's ready," said Yui happily as she locked up and closed the blinds so as not to let them be visible from the outside.

"Good evening, Yui-_senpai_. How has university been this week?" asked Azusa, taking her seat at the table while Yui handed her a soup-spoon and a pair of chopsticks. "Thank you," the _kouhai_ said, taking the proffered utensils from the brunette.

"It was great; I'm learning more and more about culinary arts, though we're only doing an in-depth study of local cuisine for the time being, since we're only freshmen. At this rate, I might even be able to surpass Ui's ramen at home."

Yui giggled at that thought as she placed a teapot and two cups of oolong tea on the table. "Here, Azu-nyan, it's your own personal cup."

She indicated the pink mug that had the semblance of a kitten in front of her. A masterwork item of the Kotobuki household, Mugi had this cup crafted by one of the porcelain companies her father owned around a year and a half ago, when Azusa had first joined the club. Azusa remembered those times fondly, how uptight she had been back then, and how she had learned to relax and enjoy life with the Light Music Club.

"Itadakimasu! How did you get my cup, Yui-_senpai?_" asked Azusa, as she began to eat Yui's miso ramen. "Wow, this is delicious, _senpai!_"

"Thanks, Azu-nyan," said Yui as she echoed Azusa's thanksgiving for the food, spooning some soup up and blowing on it gently to cool it down. "I asked Mugi for your cup way back when we graduated since you didn't seem to want it. Then I thought, 'I should keep this in case Azu-nyan comes over to my future apartment!' And here we are."

The raven-haired girl was astounded at how far ahead Yui thought. Outwardly, Yui appeared to be nothing more than a classic airhead, but Azusa was now having second thoughts about that assumption. Any more signs of sense and planning from her _senpai_ would inevitably result in her classifying Yui as "someone who trolls by obfuscating stupidity." This and why she didn't see Gitah the last time she was over completely took over the wandering thoughts of the _kouhai_ as she and Yui ate in silence.

"Yui-_senpai_, remember what I was mailing you about last night?" prompted Azusa, who was eating at a slow pace.

"Satoshi-kun?" asked Yui in confirmation, spooning the last of her soup into her mouth.

"Yeah… I have a feeling that Satoshi-kun was unsettled the most by Ui. He didn't mind me and Jun as much, in the sense that he kept his cool and composure throughout the time either of us talked to him. But when it was Ui, it's like his drumming suddenly felt off-rhythm, and when she tried to engage him in conversation, he seemed to be so nervous that any more and it would be completely palpable," recounted Azusa. "What do you think about him, _senpai? _I think he's a gentleman who's unsure how to behave around a few girls. Totally unlike Ritsu-_senpai_."

Yui gave it some thought for a moment and replied,

"I think Ricchan should be the one to ask for something like this, although she's not going to like that last crack. Although I don't mind him; he seems to be a nice guy after all. But girls are so much cooler! Like Mio-chan, and you!"

Without warning, Yui scuttled over beside Azusa and hugged her, her left arm behind the raven-haired girl's upper back and her right arm gently cradling her neck, causing Azusa to drop the spoon she was holding with a clatter into the plastic bowl.

"Y-Yui-_senpai_, what brought this on?" asked Azusa nervously; as she felt pleasure steeping through her nerves at the physical intimacy Yui was showing at the moment.

"Nothing, Azu-nyan. You know how much I love doing this to you," replied Yui, who rested her head in the crook of Azusa's neck.

"_Indeed," _thought Azusa. "_Let's try something different… Something to show appreciation for all _senpai_ has done._"

The brunette was surprised when she felt soft, gentle arms wrap around her waist, albeit slightly clumsily. "Oh Azu-nyan, how adorable you are when you do that," cooed Yui happily as she gave one last pulse and let go, surprising the _kouhai_ who let go in surprise. "I think you should finish your meal now, so I can clean up and so we can play a few songs."

Azusa nodded and finished her meal with much more gusto than earlier, still blushing slightly from Yui's hug. She felt that she'd been more affected by her _senpai's_ hugs easily these days; as if some balance between the two of them had shifted ever so slightly. Thinking hard while her outward appearance belied the deep thought she was currently doing, she decided that things had changed subtly between herself and Yui since the night that her back was injured.

Given how intimate they had been since then, given how Yui had practically told her to come and go into her apartment room as she pleased, she didn't even know what to make of thing between them anymore. One thing was for sure; she had to find out soon enough to alleviate all the confusion she was feeling.

"Hey Azu-nyan, have people still being bullying you in school?" asked Yui in a hard voice, her eyes not looking at Azusa for fear that she would be afraid of the primal rage Yui felt when she thought of the bastards that had bullied her beloved kitten.

Azusa shrugged and replied, "The bullying died down a lot after club recruitment came and went. No one else knows Jun, Ui, Satoshi and I are practicing after school at your house, though we need to find a better place to practice in. Like, a studio or a conservatory, but we don't really have the money for that. I'd like to ask Mugi-_senpai_, but I don't know how I can contact her or how I can even ask more from her, after all she's done."

Yui gently placed a hand on Azusa's head and said simply, "Azu-nyan, you worry too much. Take it easy; things will come when they come. What songs have you guys been playing?"

At this Azusa blushed and said,

"We're covering Houkago Tea Time's songs. Of course, it's different from when we're the ones doing it, since we're the original, but none of us can really compose things at the moment. Well, Ui's got some talent for composing tunes, while Satoshi-kun could probably handle the lyrics, as chivalrous as he is."

After Azusa had finished the meal and Yui the dishes, the two of them sat on Yui's bed and decided to practice their guitar sectionals. Losing themselves in the music, they sat back to back as they gently strummed and plucked to _Fuwa Fuwa Time, Watashi no Koi wa Hotchikiss, Fude Pen Ballpen, U&I, _and _Utauyo!MIRACLE, _alternating and sharing the guitar amplifier between the two of them.

An hour later, Azusa proposed that they break for the evening. Looking at the time, Yui saw that it was already ten in the evening, seeing as they both had a late dinner. The ambience of the evening was only building up, and Yui half-thought of asking Azusa to take a shower with her. However, in a rare fit of practicality, her rational side took over and said that her shower room was far too cramped for two people.

"Azu-nyan, you go shower, while I prepare the bed and clean up, okay? Can't go let Ui down now…," said Yui enthusiastically as she handed the same towel decorated with the Dango Daikazoku that Azusa had used the last time she was over.

Azusa nodded and took the towel from Yui, collecting her nightwear from her bag that she had left in the small anteroom. While her _senpai_ was wiping the table with a cloth, Azusa looked over at the corner of the room nearest the bed and saw Gitah and Mu propped side-by-side, as though they were brothers, with the amplifier beside them. Satisfied, she called to Yui that she'd be entering the bathroom and did so.

Azusa took a short shower, since she wasn't that dirty anyway, having come straight from home, and did nothing but ponder on the ambiguity of her relationship with Yui. Idly, she thought of what her parents would think about how she was into girls. The two were jazz musicians who played mostly 80's music, and hopefully, she thought that their inclinations towards homosexuality would be of the liberal persuasion.

After drying herself off and brushing her teeth, she put her pink pajamas on and exited the bathroom, where she saw Yui sitting on the bed with Gitah in her arms, patting the space on the bed beside her. The overhead lighting had been extinguished, leaving only the desk lamp on, giving the night the ambience of serenity and relaxation. "Yui-_senpai_, it's your turn to shower!"

However, Yui just said simply, "I already showered," and continued to pat the space beside her on the bed.

Azusa obliged and scurried over to beside Yui, sitting down as she looked inquiringly at her. The brunette just smiled and said,

"I have a song I want to play for you. It's not yet finished, neither did I compose it; I'm just trying to do a guitar arrangement for it."

Azusa nodded as her _senpai_ began to gently play a soft and gentle tune, as she began to sing softly,

_kyou koko de deatta__  
__takusan no hoshizuku__  
__kira kira to mabushii__  
__taisetsu na kirameki_

_Moshimo kimi ga hitori kiri de__  
__namida afure sou ni natte mo__  
__daijoubu dato omoeru you ni__  
__uta wo todokeru yo___

_Subete ga mienakute mo__  
__subete wo wakachiawatakute mo__  
__boku wa itsu made mo__  
__kimi no soba ni.._

_Oooh.._

The melody stopped gently as Yui put Gitah down on the floor. Yui looked at Azusa sheepishly and said,

"It's not yet finished… I don't think I ever told you that I was a fan of Horie Yui-sama, Azu-nyan. She shares the same first name with me too! And she's such a nice singer! Isn't that cool?"

Azusa smiled and leaned into her _senpai_ and hugged her gently, not caring about the ambiguity of things but deciding to live in the moment, as her _senpai_ had said earlier.

"A-Azu-nyan…?" sputtered Yui, at a loss for words. She didn't expect that Azusa would be that moved by her half-assed guitar arrangement for _Kimi no Soba ni [1]_.

"Oh Yui-_senpai…_ You're really cool, you know that?" said Azusa as she broke away from Yui, all smiles as she was.

Yui could only smile sheepishly and rub her head at that. Azusa leaned towards her conspirationally and whispered,

"Now, about Ui and Satoshi-kun…"

x~~*~~x

Mugi once again had the feeling that she was in a temporary heaven. Being with Yumi's friends was a totally different experience, when compared to staying with Houkago Tea Time. They were much more ladylike, even the brash Yoshino, and at a glance, would be much more matched to her upbringing as a super rich ojou-sama. Nevertheless, she still knew that nothing would be able to replace the first true friends she had in her entire life.

Lately, Mugi realized that all she was thinking about subconsciously was her friends and her crush, Sawako-_sensei_. Oddly, out of nowhere, she reflected on how she addressed Sawako. Sawa-chan-_sensei_ seemed too informal, now that she thought of it. It fit Ritsu perfectly, not her, and she resolved to return to the more formal and appropriate "Sawako-_sensei_" whenever she addressed Sawako from hereon out.

"Tsumugi-san? Tsumugi-san? Are you alright?" came a voice that shook Mugi from her reverie.

The blonde shook her head and smiled at Yoshino, who was close enough for her to kiss.

"I'm alright Yoshino-san, I just spaced out a bit, is all…"

Yoshino turned to Yumi and Shimako and exchanged significant looks. The three had noticed how off Mugi seemed lately, how out of things she seemed to be. It was like her body was here but her heart wasn't, and Yumi had picked up on this early on, but was simply confused about what to do.

After Mugi had gone to bed a few days ago, when she played _Honey Sweet Tea Time_ for Yumi, the former Rosa Chinensis en bouton messaged her _onee-sama_, inquiring as to what she could do to alleviate the feelings of loneliness she could feel that Mugi was feeling.

_Make her feel that she's loved and wanted. Do anything to get her to open up and talk about things. It would be helpful if you included Yoshino and Shimako in this._

That being the reply, Yumi conferred with the other two and they unanimously agreed that they had to do something to cheer Mugi up. As a result, they were having another tea party at eleven in the evening on a Friday; they had convinced Mugi not to go home for the time being and to spend the day with them tomorrow in the nearby shopping district.

Mugi had agreed, deciding that she should at least appreciate what her friends were doing. Although she gave off the vibe of "talented slightly-airheaded ojou-sama", she knew exactly what Yumi and the others were trying to do for her, and she truthfully felt happy that they cared enough about her.

"_A family away from home away from home twice over," _thought Mugi as she giggled.

"What's so funny?" asked Yoshino, with a worried look on her face. "Tsumugi-san, did you eat anything weird this evening?"

The dam broke and Mugi laughed a clear powerful laugh, a laugh that seemed that it could resonate perfectly off of crystal. Shimako thought that such a laugh full of pure mirth wouldn't be out of place in an opera, while Yoshino idly wondered if Mugi placing one of her hands to her mouth would make the laugh a proper approximation of Houshakuji Renge's[2].

"That felt really nice," said Mugi happily. "I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud like that."

And indeed, even at the graduation party, she wasn't like that; she was busy being comforted by the woman she loved, comforted due to the fear of separation, a fear that ultimately manifested itself and got the better of the keyboardist.

"That's the spirit Mugi-chan!" said Yumi happily, taking her cellular phone out and composing a quick email to Sachiko that said "Onee-sama_, looks like Mugi-chan is feeling better now! :)_"

"Are you sure you're available tomorrow, Tsumugi-san?" asked Shimako politely as she sipped some of the Kotobuki stock of Earl Grey. "It's alright if you want to go out with your friends tomorrow; the fact that you finally smiled properly and laughed is good enough for us."

Yoshino nodded in agreement when Mugi smiled and said,

"It's the least I could do, Toudou-san," replied Mugi. "After all, you are my friends as well."

Shimako replied, "Then, please do call me Shimako-san instead."

Mugi smirked and replied, "Only if you call me Mugi."

Everyone nodded, happy that the blonde was in high spirits. The twin-tailed brunette's phone vibrated in her pocket, and she took it out, reading the incoming mail from Sachiko that said,

_Good work Yumi. Make sure she has fun tomorrow; she looked really worn out in today's Economics lecture._

Indeed, the Ogasawara heir felt that Mugi was feeling under the weather earlier that day during their lecture class, and wished she could help her friend. However, she knew that seven years was a long time and she realized with regret that she barely knew the blonde anymore. At that point, she had decided to leave it to Yumi, Shimako, and Yoshino, who were all in her year and who were much closer to her now than she was.

"So about tomorrow, there's a posh mall a ways from here. I think we should go there," said Yoshino. "Mugi-san should find it appropriate enough, I suppose."

Once again, Mugi felt a short bout of melancholy relating to whenever people decided to treat her based on her affluence. She had always felt that way, at her father's corporate meetings, she would always be coddled, forced to play the role of the daughter of a corporate overlord, when all she really wanted was to be happy in her own way. That was one thing she would have to let her new set of friends see clearly or else she would feel left out and misunderstood once again.

"Umm, I'm actually perfectly fine with the nearby open-air plaza mall," interjected the blonde. "Please, don't treat me like an ojou-sama; just treat me as you normally would any friend, alright?"

Yoshino, Shimako, and Yumi had nodded. Message received, loud and clear. "In that case, would you be up for some karaoke, Mugi-san?" challenged Yoshino, pointing a finger at her while Shimako smiled and sipped her tea.

"That's rude, Yoshino-san," mumbled Yumi, but not in a low enough voice as Yoshino had heard her.

"No one asked you, Sachi—er, Yumi-san," jested Yoshino, sticking her tongue out at the former Rosa Chinensis.

"I'll have you know, you heard Mugi-chan sing the other night. You wouldn't stand a chance against her," said Yumi confidently, while Mugi blushed at the praise she was receiving from her roommate.

"Say, why don't we ask Sei-sama to come along tomorrow?" proposed Yumi. _"Mugi-chan should certainly have fun with Sei-sama involved_,_" _thought the twin-tailed brunette.

Yoshino shook her head and said, "Are you mad, Yumi-san? You know how much trouble Sei-sama can be; it's a miracle that Youko-sama could keep her on a leash back then… sort of. Eriko-sama was more of the type to just sit back and pass the popcorn around."

"Oh come on, it'll make things more fun, Yoshino-san," argued back Yumi. "Isn't that right, Shimako-san?"

Shimako sipped her tea and said, "I suppose, though all of us here, save Mugi-san, know how… random _onee-sama_ can get."

"So this Sei-sama is your _onee-sama,_ Shimako-san?" asked Mugi, interested once again in the _soeur_ relationship that Lillian Girls' Academy had going.

Shimako nodded, and Yumi and Yoshino continued to argue over whether or not Sei's presence would benefit Mugi.

While the two bickered, with Shimako observing calmly as always, Mugi took her cellphone out of her pocket and she began to compose a message to Sawako.

_Hello Sawako-sensei! I guess I'll be alright for a little while longer. See you soon! ^^_

x~~*~~x

Tainaka Ritsu sat in her bedroom, the lights shut off and the venetian blinds open, letting the soft glow of the setting sun into her room, keeping it well lit despite the slightly melancholic feeling Ritsu was going for. The computer screen seemed to be staring at her, mocking the drummer with the information that was laid out before her very eyes.

She was still brooding about how the teasing came from people she barely knew, but what hit her home the most was a Psychology major in their Philosophy class offhandedly mentioning that she was suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The term seemed legit to her, and as soon as she had arrived at her home, she decided to Google what the term had meant.

What she had found was devastating to her, to say the least. Her confidence shattered, it was as though she could read her entire personality off of a medical manual. How she was talkative, outgoing, easily distracted, couldn't keep herself still for a moment, among others. Even her love of the drums could be extrapolated from this; she didn't have the attention span to learn chords for the guitar, as she had discovered back in their senior year when she tried jumping from instrument to instrument in a bid to be in the spotlight more. Hell, the reason she had for swapping instruments back then could easily be traced back to ADHD. She was severely disturbed, and right now she was scared that she would lose herself.

Add to that the way she secretly felt for Mio and it was just a recipe for a complete emotional disaster. Never before had she been the scared, embarrassed, and teased one, it was always Mio. The sandy-haired drummer took solace in the fact that at least she was indirectly protecting Mio by taking all the insults in her stead, but she felt that she wouldn't be able to endure it without Mio's help.

With that, she had called Mio, whom she had split up with just a short half-hour ago and invited her over to her house. No one else was home, since Satoshi was over at Yui's house for some reason and her parents had gone out on a date to keep their marriage youthful.

In due course, the doorbell rang and Ritsu made her way downstairs to let Mio in. She decided that she'd keep a straight face for now until Mio picked up on what she was feeling, and knowing Mio, she would do that almost immediately. An exercise in futility, and the drummer decided to just come clean at the most appropriate moment.

With a feeling of trepidation, Ritsu opened the door and there stood Mio, wearing a short tank top that revealed her belly button and a pair of shorts that showcased her curves and long legs.

Ritsu's head jerked back beyond her control and she felt her hand cover her nose to prevent the unwanted leakage of blood from her nasal cavity. Mio only looked on in worry as she said, "Ritsu, are you okay?" to which Ritsu just nodded and motioned for her to enter.

The drummer proceeded to the kitchen in haste to wash her face and plug her nostrils with tissue until the nosebleed had subsided. Still thinking about Mio's creamy legs, she reappeared in the hallway only to find Mio missing. Suddenly, she felt her heart stop; she had left the computer running in her room and if Mio wasn't in the hallway, there could only one place where Mio was…

She rushed up the stairs with the urgency of a thousand dying souls, as though she was granted a boon by Hermes, the Greek messenger god. Unfortunately, when she reached her room, she saw Mio standing beside her computer, tracing a finger on the cathode-ray-tube monitor screen as she scrutinized the Wikipedia article.

"Ritsu…," softly breathed the bassist. "Is this what's been troubling you…?"

The raven-haired girl turned to the drummer with a look of sincere worry on her face. Ritsu had no choice but to nod as she entered the room and sat on her bed, bowing towards the floor in embarrassment as she began to speak in a low voice without looking at Mio.

"When I heard the Psych major utter those words, they sounded legit enough for me to look them up. And that's what I saw, Mio. Do you know how it feels like to see almost your entire personality being factually presented as _symptoms _of a _fucking_ disorder? It really blew my confidence away, man."

Mio could only listen in silence as her best friend began to unload all the insecurities she'd been feeling over the past weeks.

"It's like every facet of my being, every part of what makes me who I am… even my love for the drums… they can be traced to this one psychological disorder," said Ritsu somberly, still not willing to look at Mio in dejection and shame. "I still felt that I could gain something positive from all of this; that it was me being teased and not you Mio. Through and through, I'm still your knight. Though some knight I am…"

Ritsu chuckled bitterly at her own statement, she thought how pathetic she was to be Mio's knight. A knight was a fierce warrior who braved incoming onslaughts with bravery and determination, so as not to let any harm come to the princess, not someone who crumbled easily the way she did.

Breathing deeply, Ritsu looked at Mio with a dull look in her eyes. "I feel so worthless, so ridiculous, so facetious as to even claim I have my own personali—"

_*thwack*_

Ritsu was stunned as she brought a hand up to her stinging face. Mio had always given her a bump on the head when she went too far with her jokes, but never before had she been _slapped_ by her best friend.

"Ricchan, that's _enough!_"exclaimed Mio, tears running down her face as she sat on the bed beside Ritsu and hugged her as tight as she could. "I don't give a _fuck_ about what the science says; to me, you're still Ritsu, my special Ritsu, my best friend!"

"_And the one I love," _thought the raven-haired bassist but didn't say. "I don't care what anyone thinks, but you'll always be Ritsu. Ritsu is Ritsu and that fact will never change. So please, don't feel that way."

"Heh, Mio…" mumbled Ritsu as she returned the embrace. "Now I know how it feels to be the one being teased… It's not great at all, Mio. It's okay if it was you, but it's people I hardly know, people I wouldn't even give a second thought about. Not until they did this…"

Mio decided to take the initiative as she cradled her best friend in her arms while she looked on with a fervent look on her face. "You know Ricchan, I promised you on the night we graduated. Remember? I said that I'd do my best to stand alone for your sake, and to protect you as well."

Come to me, was what Mio's eyes silently implored upon Ritsu as the latter looked at Mio straight in the eye. Ritsu's resolve buckled as she buried her head in the crook of Mio's neck as she began to cry like she hadn't cried before.

_Someday Ritsu… my feelings will reach you._

x~~*~~x

_[1] – Kimi no Soba ni is a song from Horie Yui's album __**HONEY JET!**__ Translated, it means… you guessed it! By Your Side._

_[2] – Renge from__** Ouran High School Host Club.**_

_This was mostly a contemplative chapter involving Mio, Ritsu, and Mugi's individual feelings, while Azusa and Yui are further progressing along. That's not to say that the road will be smooth for everyone, after all; I'd like to just hint that trials will be coming along in the near future for some of our cast members. Especially for Mio and Ritsu; things are just getting started._

_I'm also debating as to whether or not to consummate Ui/Satoshi. Hmmm... :) _

_And with that, my fic has broken the 40000 word mark, the thirteenth on the site in the K-ON! category to do so. It's nowhere near finished, and I sincerely hope that some of you will stick around for the entire ride. :)_


	9. A Day in the Life

_Last chapter felt a bit weak and hinged too much on Ritsu's ignorance to work. I thank __**11133322**__ and __**Yaaga **__for bringing this fact to light. Now, it's time to begin upping the ante._

_I've since decided to stop pointing out some references unless they are extremely vital to the plot, since those brackets ([]) can look quite ugly._

x~~*~~x

**A Day in the Life**

After Ritsu had calmed down, Mio had thought that the best course of action was to see a psychologist so that an actual diagnosis could be made. The raven-haired girl thought that it would be best for Ritsu to get the word from a certified professional, and not from some stuck up college student in their Philosophy class.

It was then decided than the two of them would go out on Sunday to see a psychologist as well as to spend the day with each other. With the way Mio had comforted her, Ritsu felt that her friendship was as strong as ever, and the intimacy that Mio had lavished onto her in the process of comforting her had increased Ritsu's courage in her pursuit of happiness.

It was a lovely Sunday morning when Tainaka Ritsu rose from her bed, stretching her arms to loosen her stiff shoulders. It was the day of her "date" with Mio, even though it technically wasn't one; they were just going to have her diagnosed officially by a psychologist and then spend the rest of the day hanging around wherever. Mio had convinced Ritsu's parents to allow her to be diagnosed so as to finally seal the deal, and the Tainakas had obliged, giving them money to pay for the consultation and testing fee that would be levied upon them.

The drummer had both a feeling of excitement and dread at what the diagnosis would be; even if she did this at Mio's behest, it still wasn't easy for her to come to terms with what she thought could possibly be a problem for her. However, she trusted Mio's judgement, and after being left cash for the consultation, Ritsu felt obligated to continue.

Ritsu snuck a peek at the clock that read "10:00 am" and decided to pick the pace up a bit so she and Mio wouldn't be caught up in a potential waiting queue by lunchtime. The sandy-haired brunette took a quick shower and after drying herself off, put on a simple yellow shirt and jeans. Her eyes fell on her customary yellow headband and Ritsu idly toyed with the idea of not wearing her headband just to see how Mio would react. Chuckling to herself, she decided against it and put the yellow headband on as always, taking the money for the consultation fee that had been left by her parents pinned to the refrigerator using a beetle refrigerator magnet.

As she took a sandwich out of the fridge for microwaving, she saw her little brother Satoshi exit the living room and make way for the door. Calling to him, Ritsu asked,

"Hey Satoshi, where're you going?"

The boy shrugged and replied, "I'm headed over to the Hirasawas. Ui-chan said she wanted to practice some more, and that she wanted me to write lyrics for something she was trying to compose. See ya around, _nee-chan_."

And with that, the boy opened the door and exited the household, leaving the elder Tainaka just standing by the kitchen door with a cooled tuna sandwich in hand. Ignoring what she was suspecting, Ritsu placed the sandwich on a ceramic plate and placed the dish in the microwave, setting the timer at half a minute when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Taking a carton of milk out of the refrigerator, she inspected the mail that she had received and saw that it was from Mio.

_I'm headed over Ritsu; wait for me. :)_

Smiling widely since no one could see her, Ritsu heard the microwave stop and extricated her sandwich from it, beginning to eat it while occasionally sipping from the carton of milk. About three minutes later, the doorbell rang and the front door opened, with a silky voice calling out timidly, "Excuse the intrusion…"

What Mio beheld upon entry to the Tainaka's dining room was Ritsu finishing up her sandwich and downing the remaining milk in the carton with a flourish. Mio chuckled at Ritsu's energetic self, and she thought that, even if Ritsu was positively diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, it didn't even matter to her in the slightest.

As the two of them exited the Tainaka household, Ritsu sensed that Mio was in deep thought and for once, decided to honor her privacy and give her space to think. Little did she know that Mio was thinking about her the entire time.

Drawing on her knowledge from her Psychology classes, Mio realized that the argument that the drums were an ADHD-instrument was full of bullshit. It took dedication and a lot of concentration to learn how to play the drums as well as Ritsu did, and upon looking at the childhood promise that they had made about starting a band, she knew that someone who was truly affected with ADHD wouldn't even remember that promise. She knew that Ritsu toiled night and day when she first got her drum set so that she could play better, and she had the hardened skin on her hands to prove it. Someone truly afflicted with ADHD wouldn't have that kind of dedication and concentration to finish her goal, now that the raven-haired girl thought about it.

Feeling more and more confident that Ritsu would be negatively diagnosed, Mio broke into a wide grin and did something that she rarely did: she ran up ahead of Ritsu, turned and stuck her tongue out at her best friend.

"Hurry up Ritsu, we're gonna get bogged up in a long line if we don't hurry!"

Mio turned around and walked at a leisurely pace, while her best friend was slackjawed, staring at Mio due to the normally unseen bubbly demeanor she knew Mio could also take on. Shaking off her initial surprise, she sensed that her own positive outlook was rubbing off onto the bassist, and Ritsu caught up with Mio with a question posed.

"What're you smiling about, Mio?"

Mio shrugged and said, "Well, you know I'm taking a psych class. The way circumstances were, you could've asked me about this whole thing you were worrying about. Then your… breakdown a couple of days ago could've been avoided easily, _baka_."

_Of course, I didn't mind because I got to hold Ritsu in my arms._

Mio smiled at the thought and blushed slightly, upon which Ritsu noticed Mio's reddened face. Out of concern, she asked, "Hey, are you okay? It's kinda hot, yeah," and placed her hand on Mio's forehead, to check how well she was feeling.

Mio instinctively jerked back and said, flustered, "I-I'm okay, Ritsu, don't worry about it."

The drummer looked at her with an appraising look but just shrugged, deciding to just enjoy the day with Mio. In due course, they arrived at the local hospital and proceeded to the office of a visiting psychologist whom they had set the appointment up with.

Mio decided to wait in the waiting room while she directed Ritsu to knock on the oaken doors that had a brass plaque on it that simply said:

**Dr. Aozaki Touko**

With the payment in hand, Ritsu knocked on the door and was greeted with a "Come in!", after which she gently opened the door and shot Mio one last look that seemed to say "Thanks." The door swung open and it allowed Mio to catch a glimpse of the doctor that sat behind the desk, a beautiful, lithe woman with flaming red hair that she kept in a ponytail. It only lasted for a short while though, as the door was shut and Mio sat down in one of the chairs, knowing that there was nothing she could do but wait.

x~~*~~x

"Well, there you have it Mio," said Ritsu smugly, shoving a sheet of paper into Mio's hand. Upon reading the contents, signed off by Dr. Aozaki, Mio breathed a sigh of relief and said,

"I told you it wasn't anything to worry about… And now, we have official confirmation," said Mio with a smile on her face. "Now all you got to do is to return to your bubbly self and ignore those assholes in class, alright?"

Ritsu nodded and flashed Mio a "V" sign with her left hand, overwhelmed with happiness at the official diagnosis she had just received. Feeling as though she was on top of the world, in the same vein that Mio had taken the initiative two days past, Ritsu decided to push her luck and do the same, just to find an inkling of hope as to whether or not she had a chance to be with her best friend, not just as best friends, but as lovers.

As they exited the hospital, Ritsu suggested they go eat at Max Burger once again, due to lack of funds on both their part. Mio agreed and said that they should spend the day outdoors in celebration. While Mio walked silently, admiring the foliage and surroundings of the path they were taking that somewhat intersected with their old high school, Sakura, Ritsu's mind moved into overdrive at what she was going to do. Sure, Mio was in high spirits, but one false move and she could ruin everything.

The important thing to determine was whether or not she was into girls the way she was. Despite all their years of friendship, that was one aspect that Ritsu was in the dark in. Either Mio was a late bloomer, into girls, or into both and was a late bloomer, as the bassist had never really talked about crushes with Ritsu. Ritsu had attributed that back then to the shyness that her best friend was oozing in, but now… it felt different and she decided to get to the bottom of things. The biggest problem was subtlety, something she lacked. Unsure of what to do, she decided to compose an email to Mugi, while she observed Mio out of the corner of her eye, admiring her attire that day: a cream colored blouse, jeans, and sneakers. As girly as Mio was, Ritsu loved that Mio had a knack for dressing like she wasn't a girly-girl, and such choices only further Akiyama Mio in her mind as the alpha wolf of tall, dark, and bishoujo.

Wiping some drool off of her mouth, an action that hadn't gone unnoticed by Mio who had chuckled at that, she composed the message quickly:

_Hey Mugi, how do you find out if a girl is into girls?_

After sending the message, she turned to Mio and said, "I wonder when we can meet up with Mugi again… She must be having fun in that exclusive all-girls university, though, I mean, you know how Mugi is about girls…"

This would be Tainaka Ritsu's best attempt at subtlety on her own, and she didn't want to push it. Thankfully, the reply she got was somewhat favorable and gave her some hope.

"Well, she wasn't really hiding that she was into girls," said Mio thoughtfully, cringing internally as she talked nonchalantly about Mugi's sexuality. "_This is dangerous; I'm not prepared for this yet. Better steer away the conversation from sexuality, but I might as well try to let her know that I'm okay with 'it' while I'm at it,_" thought the bassist.

"Of course, there's nothing wrong with that. Haha, hahaha," chuckled Mio nervously as they arrived at their destination: Max Burger. Satisfied with the way she had evaded the topic, Mio told Ritsu that she'd be ordering for the two of them and asked her to find a table for the two of them.

When the drummer had found a small table in the corner of the establishment, she sighed in relief at Mio's favorable reaction to the topic of homosexuality. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she took it out, noticing an incoming message from Mugi.

_Ricchan, try asking Mio-chan what she likes about boys, then if she says that nothing comes to mind, ask her what she likes about girls, then compliment her on her hair. Ask her what she does to keep it nice and smooth. __ū_

Ritsu nodded to herself and internalized the tack she would be taking when she realized something: How had Mugi known that she was talking about Mio?

"_Were her yuri goggles grafted into her eyes or something?" _thought the drummer wryly.

Mio returned with a tray laden with their two orders, both of which consisted of a cheeseburger and cola, since they were eating on the cheap today. The raven-haired beauty set the tray aside and placed it on a rack nearby, returning to their seat and handing some tissue to Ritsu, who took it with a nod as she was already chowing down on the burger with gusto. The light lunch was perfect, and Ritsu decided to play it by ear and by Mugi.

As Mio began to eat, Ritsu observed her out of the corner of her eye while she took a sip of her cola. Indeed, Mio had beautiful hair, and that explained why so many boys took more than a passing interest in the raven-haired girl back when they were in middle school. Unfortunately, these boys weren't the nicest of people either. Some of them would tease Mio by scaring her, the way Ritsu did up to this day, but not in jest. However, the one trait that basically planted a target on Mio's back was the fact that she was left-handed.

In their middle school batch, astoundingly and against the standard odds, the only left-handed person was Mio, and a lot of the boys, who had never seen a left-hander before, had called her many names. Ritsu had befriended Mio years before this due to an essay that the teacher made her write and since then she had sworn to be Mio's knight.

Taking another bite out of her burger, she swallowed it and asked Mio, "Say Mio, what do you like about guys?"

Mio's eyes grew wide and she nearly sputtered, forcing her to take a long draught of her cola to wash the burger she was chewing down her throat. Coughing, she replied,

"Well, what I'd like in a guy is for him to be a gentleman, to protect me, to be there for me and he should be someone I'm comfortable sharing my secrets with. T-That's not to say I like any guys right now!" she hastily added. "Truth is, I can see myself with a guy, sure, but girls—"

The raven-haired girl froze and drew in her breath sharply; she knew immediately that she had said too much. Even Ritsu isn't stupid enough to miss such a huge tell like that. "_Damn, what have I done,_" she thought, mentally kicking herself.

Ritsu indeed, picked up on this and decided to press her advantage. Eating the last of her burger while Mio was practically frozen, she took a sip of her cola and began her attack.

"So Mio, how about girls then?" she asked conversationally.

Mio felt a drop of sweat cascade down the side of her face into the crook of her neck and was thankful that Ritsu didn't notice. "_Be honest? It seems to be an innocent question anyway,_" the bassist thought blithely, unsure as to how she would handle the situation. "_I guess I could just be honest and describe Ritsu; she probably won't get too suspicious anyway._"

"Actually, I can't quantify either what I like, uh, that is to say, what I think makes girls appealing to guys. B-But if I had to come up with something, then I'd say that an independent girl would be nice, really. It'd be great if she could stand on her own, instead of being protected," she said nervously, clearly contradicting her own statement moments earlier. "No, that's not right, maybe… Arrgh Ritsu! Don't ask me those w-weird questions, _b-baka_."

Mio was clearly flustered and Ritsu took this as a good sign. Feeling her phone vibrate, she took it out of her pocket and discreetly checked the messages she had received. There were two of them: one from Satoshi, and one from Mugi. She decided to read Mugi's mail first.

_If Mio-chan gets flustered if and when you ask her about girls, then it's a very good sign that she's into girls. Knowing Mio-chan's personality, she's going to be a bit disturbed with your line of questioning. I'll leave the rest to you Ricchan, and good luck! ^^_

"_Mugi, are you some kind of sage?" _thought Ritsu in disbelief.

"Who's it from Ritsu?" interjected Mio, leaning over the table to view Ritsu's received message.

Surprisingly, Ritsu was able to act well under pressure in this instance, and before Mio could notice anything amiss, she had quickly closed Mugi's message and opened Satoshi's message which the two of them read.

_Nee-chan, I'm going to be home by dinner. I'm still at Hirasawa-san's house, and Nakano-san and Suzuki-san came over for practice as well._

"Seems like they're coming along pretty well," said Mio thoughtfully, leaning back into her seat while Ritsu relaxed; that had been a very close shave. "Hey Ritsu, I've got a great idea. Why don't we head over to Yui's house and have a nice practice round with everyone? I'll go ask let Yui know we're coming over and I'll mail Mugi as well."

Ritsu nodded as Mio composed the messages and sent them to their respective recipients, after which the bassist finished the last of her burger and drink. As they were headed out, Mio felt her phone vibrate and she took it out. There were replies from both Yui and Mugi, and she decided to read Yui's first.

_hey mio-chan! sure, you can come over with ricchan, its kinda fun here, so dont miss out! dont forget to tell mugi-chan! :p_

Mio smiled and turned to Ritsu, giving her a thumbs up. "We're all set for Yui's house. Let me see first what Mugi said though."

_Oh Mio-chan, what a pleasant surprise! I'm actually not at home right now; I'm in the university dorms and I can head over in about an hour or so. I'll excuse myself from Yumi-san first; see you later at Yui-chan's! ^^_

Ritsu had read the message and said, "Great, everyone's coming over. We probably gotta brush up on our skills; it's been quite a while since we've played together as a band, don't you think, Mio?"

Mio nodded in reply. "It's a great thing; us coming together to practice. The Beatles definitely got it right."

Ritsu smiled in reply, and chuckled when she realized that she had completely forgotten to compliment Mio on her hair.

x~~*~~x

"And with that, Yumi-san, I shall head back for the day and return in the morning for classes. Have fun with Shimako-san and Yoshino-san!" said Mugi as she bade Yumi goodbye at the entrance to their dormitory, where a limousine was waiting for her. She had decided that it was alright to use her wealth for this scenario, since she didn't want to waste any time; the hour and a half ETA she had given Mio was the latest possible time she would arrive.

Klaus was an excellent driver after all, and barring any major traffic jams that only happened during zombie apocalypses, she would arrive within an hour, despite the fact that she was traveling from Tokyo back to Shiga prefecture. Klaus was that good.

Before she had left the dorm, she had messaged Sawako, saying that she should head over to Yui's house because the Light Music Club would be having a practice session for the day over there. Sawako had replied favorably, and that had boosted the blonde's spirits, which had then led to her choice of clothing for the day.

Mugi was once again wearing one of her trademark Sunday skirts and her wide-brimmed hat. However, she had decided to wear something a bit more… daring than her usual fare. Klaus was indeed surprised at what his ojou-sama was wearing when she got into the limousine, but as was expected of a butler trained by Colonel Taijiri Yasushi, he remained stoic and impassive in the face of his charge's unusual attire.

Indeed, she was wearing a tank top with a plunging neckline that revealed about an inch and a half of her cleavage, with a silk jacket over it. Wryly noting that she would normally not do this, she tacked it all as a consequence of yesterday's meeting.

"Sei-san," she whispered, giggling as she recalled yesterday's events while Klaus began driving as fast as he could without breaking any traffic laws.

x~~*~~x

_Kotobuki Tsumugi was actually having fun. It was the first time in weeks that she could honestly say that. For people who went to a refined exclusive all girls' school back in high school, these three could definitely have some fun._

_Even the quiet Shimako-san; Mugi was surprised to learn that she was really good at fighting games in the arcade, even giving the best of the best a run for her money at the Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion machine in the local arcade with choice combos using the Ping Yi Quan master Wang Jinrei._

_Bowing to the short blue-haired girl on the other side of the machine after her honorable loss, Yoshino had continued to rave and rave about how good Shimako was until the latter took out her cellphone and said, "_Onee-sama's_ headed to the karaoke joint; she asked us to meet her there."_

"_I do hope Sei-sama goes easy on Mugi-chan," Yumi said to the group, audibly worried._

_Mugi's interest was piqued even further with the words coming out of Yumi's mouth, and the blonde keyboardist was not disappointed in any way whatsoever when they met up with Satou Sei in their reserved karaoke room._

_As Mugi would describe her, she was definitely made in the same mold as Ritsu, only much much bolder. She immediately made her orientation known, when Shimako had introduced her to Mugi, she immediately said,_

"_Sup, Mugi-chan. I like pretty girls like you," winking as she said so._

_Surprisingly, even to herself, Kotobuki Tsumugi felt her heart flutter; there was something about the confident way this woman carried herself. Add to that the way she was addressed and her openness regarding her sexuality and it was a formula that was practically designed to attract Mugi's interest. She objectively noted that Sei had a different appeal from Sawako, who managed to be a reliable and respectable individual, while at the same time being carefree, outgoing, and flat out cool._

_Sei was like a torrent of rain unleashed upon the drying land, or at least that was Mugi's conceptualization of the concept. While Shimako began to sing a wonderful version of Ave Maria, which was surprisingly on the karaoke machine, Sei began to forcefully engage in skinship with Yumi, who reminded Mugi so much of Azusa back in the day when she tried to resist Yui's hugs. As she had predicted, Yumi stopped struggling and just kept a neutral face, while Sei continued to giggle like a young girl, belying her age, and experience._

_Sei had already moved on from Kubo Shiori, who was her girlfriend years ago. She had moved away and transferred out of Lillian Academy to nurse her ailing health. If anyone could cope with the sense of loss and longing, it was Satou Sei._

_And it was exactly this that led Mugi and Sei into a very interesting conversation. Mugi, who had tapped unwittingly into her feelings of longing for Sawako's presence due to the skinship she had witnessed between Yumi and Sei earlier, suddenly felt out of place in the happy atmosphere. She excused herself from the box to wash up in the washroom, but upon entering, she saw that Sei was also there, drying her hands with a paper towel._

"_They sure can be a rowdy bunch huh," remarked Sei. "Even Yumi-chan; she became a bit more stuck-up because of Sachiko's influence but she's quite a fun person to be with. She's your roommate, am I right, Mugi-chan?"_

_Mugi nodded wordlessly as she washed her hands at the ceramic sink, inspecting her appearance in the mirror._

"_You look troubled, as though you were longing for something."_

_Mugi turned to face the older woman and reluctantly nodded. _"Great, she's perceptive as well_,_" _thought the keyboardist._

"_Is it a boyfriend?_" _she asked bluntly. Mugi shook her head and Sei continued. "Girlfriend?"_

_Mugi felt that she could be open with this person and replied,_

"_Not really, but someone I would want to be together with. She was my homeroom teacher in my senior year of high school."_

_Sei nodded thoughtfully, not caring at all about the inherent age discrepancy she inferred from Mugi's answer and said,_

"_Do you feel like you have a chance to be with her?"_

_Mugi nodded again and replied, "Well, she comforted me and she was there for me on the night of our graduation. True, we were both under the influence, but the aura she resonated that night was not of a teacher caring for her student… not even of an older sister caring for her younger sister… but of a lover."_

"_Of course, I could be wrong, but that's what I felt," added the blonde. _

_Sei chuckled and said, "It's a wonder, being young, isn't it… Well, all I can say is that, the next time you see her, try to attack. You look smart, so I'll leave it up to you. Wear her down as much as you can; she seems to be the type that won't turn you away, based on what you've said. Of course, you're the best judge of that, Mugi-chan."_

_Mugi indeed reflected on Sawako and she could say that she knew her teacher pretty well. She would not be turned away if she did it subtly and played it cool. She approached Sei and grasped the woman's hands._

"_Sei-san, thank you for the advice you've given me today! I'll make sure to put it to good use!" said Mugi happily._

_The former Rosa Gigantea blushed, though Mugi was far too immersed in her thanks to notice. "Uh, you're welcome," Sei replied, her aura of confidence penetrated by the sincerity that Mugi had shown._

"_If you'll excuse me, I'll head back to Yumi-san and the others now," said Mugi, exiting the bathroom._

"_Kotobuki Tsumugi-chan, huh…," said Sei to no one in the bathroom. "What an interesting find."_

x~~*~~x

"Tsumugi-ojou-sama, we have arrived at our destination," came an old but strong voice, shaking Mugi out of her reverie. The blonde had fallen asleep in the car and immediately she sat up and thanked Klaus.

She had instructed him to drop her off at the corner of the street that led up to Yui's house, so as not to attract unwanted attention from their neighbors. Checking her watch, she was amused to note that it was only one in the afternoon; she had the entire afternoon to spend with HTT, the _kouhai_, and Sawako. She sent a quick message to Yui saying that she'd be there in a few minutes.

Klaus handed her Korg over and politely asked if he could assist her in carrying the object to Yui's house. Mugi declined and politely sent Klaus on his way, informing him to just pick her up when she called. The blonde then walked over to the Hirasawa residence, and when she arrived she saw Ritsu waiting for her on the porch step of the house.

"Hey Mugi, it's been a while. Two weeks and some change, right?" said Ritsu cheerfully as she held a hand behind her head while she grinned widely. "Thanks for the assist earlier today; I really appreciate it. Seems like I may have a chance."

"Good for you, Ricchan," said Mugi happily. At least someone was going in the right direction.

Ritsu appeared as though a sudden thought had occurred to her, and that was indeed the case.

"By the way Mugi, how did you know I was talking about Mio?" asked Ritsu in a low tone, making sure that no one else could overhear their conversation.

Mugi chuckled and said, "Even if falling for your best friend is said to be the bane of many friendships, I had a feeling that it won't be the case for you and Mio-chan. You two are far too close for anything of that sort. Besides, the two of you complement each other as each other's foil."

"As expected of Tsumugi-sama," mock-bowed Ritsu, before breaking out in laughter. "You're great Mugi, and I really appreciate it. I might need to ask for more help in due course. For now, let's get inside; everyone's been waiting for you."

And enter they did. When they turned to the living room, everyone was there: Ui, Jun, and Satoshi, who politely said, "Good afternoon Tsumugi-san," Mio who smiled at Mugi, Azusa who said, "Nice to see you again, Mugi-_senpai_," and Yui, who unabashedly stood up and hugged Mugi, causing her to nearly stumble due to Yui's momentum and the weight of her Korg, knocking the hat off of her head.

"Long time no see, Yui-chan, Azusa-chan, everyone," said Mugi happily. "It's great to be back."

She then noticed that not everyone was there; there was one person missing. The most important one to her among them. A flush was heard, and a bespectacled woman wearing a tank-top appeared in the dining room, stretching her arms.

"Hello, Sawako-_sensei_," said Mugi happily, placing her Korg gently on the floor as she tentatively approached Sawako, who was smiling. "Nice to see you again."

Sawako nodded and replied, "It's good to see you too, Mugi-chan."

To the keyboardist's immense surprise, the _sensei _placed her hand on her head and murmured softly, so that only Mugi could hear her.

"Good work hanging in there, Mugi-chan."

x~~*~~x

Everyone sat in the couches in the Hirasawa living room, with Ui serving iced tea to everyone on such a warm afternoon. Mio had brought her amplifier, along with Azusa, while Satoshi had brought Ritsu's drum set over. He didn't have the same difficulty that Ritsu usually did; he was a bit stronger after all.

Everyone was ready to jam, but for starters, everyone wanted to hear about Mugi's time in Lillian University. The last time that she had met up with Yui, Mio, and Ritsu, there had been no such time to discuss such niceties, as they had pressing issues at the time.

Mugi shared her experiences in studying in an exclusive women's university, and she described her newfound friends to her old friends, along with Sachiko, who was her older sister figure so long ago. She had recounted her outing yesterday, as well as her meeting with Sei, omitting the conversation that had occurred in the bathroom, of course.

While she continued to talk, Sawako could only look at Mugi's attire, surprised that she even owned clothing such as this. It was something she didn't expect from the Kotobuki heiress, but here it was, right before her eyes, Mugi wearing a tank-top that exposed her cleavage very well. She would freely admit to herself that she was, at the minimum, slightly attracted to the blonde, and her clothing was just glorious eye-candy to top things off.

However, rationality ruled over her slightly indecent thoughts for the time being; she knew her age difference was something that would impede the possibility of… consummation. She felt that the blonde was mutually attracted to her as well, but she didn't know how powerful that attraction was, and whether or not something like that could be the foundation of a relationship.

Legality was no longer an issue; the Kotobuki heiress was of legal age and she was no longer a student at Sakura High School. Barring the homosexuality, there was absolutely nothing wrong in them seeing each other, and yet… Sawako was afraid.

She was afraid that something bad would happen if she made a move. As she drifted off further into her thoughts, she realized what was causing her fear.

Separation.

If they had become an item, would she be able to stand Mugi being far away in Tokyo at Lillian University, while everyone else was in Sakura High School and the University of Shiga Prefecture. The travel time alone for her would be terrible; Mugi stayed at the dorms, and it took her an entire hour or more to travel by train.

The _sensei_ realized that she needed some sort of monumental event or flag for her to give in to what she wanted. She didn't know how much Mugi loved her, or if at all what the blonde was feeling for her was love and not infatuation. The alcohol had dulled all their senses that night, and being a veteran of drinking parties, Sawako wrote off everything she had experienced that night as being situational.

"Sawa-chan. Sawa-chan!" called Yui. "You're supposed to be listening to us practice now!"

She abruptly opened her eyes and indeed, she saw that the members of Houkago Tea Time had taken up their positions to play a few songs, while Ui, Jun, and Satoshi looked on, hoping to glean some knowledge from their _senpai_. Mugi was seated on the couch, her Korg perfectly balanced on her thighs. Ritsu was in the middle, and in front of her were Yui, Mio, and Azusa. Thankfully for them, Ui had the foresight to move the furniture around; the low table in the living room was currently in the dining room, and the couches had all been pushed to the ends of the room.

"Oh right, yes, yes, of course," said Sawako, recovering from her reverie. "What're you guys going to be playing for now?"

"_Utauyo!MIRACLE!_," replied Yui happily. "I love singing this song, after all. So listen up everyone! Ricchan, ready?"

Ritsu nodded and said, clacking her drumsticks together, "One, two!"

And the band began to play an upbeat song that they had played in the four _senpais'_ very own classroom a few days before graduation. Everyone was in sync, as though the month-long layoff had never existed. Azusa and Yui fluidly ran through the chords while the latter sang happily, enthusiasm matching the most hardcore baseball fan, rooting for the Hanshin Tigers hailing from Nishinomiya.

Mio supported the tune as usual in her own way, quite adept as she was at the bass that she had been playing for the past four years. Her Fender Sunburst Jazz exuded deep tones, melding into the background of the music.

Ritsu, as usual, led the band along with her rhythm, and _Utauyo!MIRACLE _was a fast-paced song; everyone's pace hinged on hers. Satoshi was amazed at his sister's skill; even though it appeared that he was hogging the drum set more lately, Ritsu was still at the top of her game.

Lastly, Mugi appeared to be on cloud nine, her body bobbing along with the notes she played on her keyboard in a support role in the song. Sawako's eyes inevitably strayed to Mugi's chest, where the blonde's ample assets were bouncing around with the way she swayed her body. Her face growing red, she was thankful that no one else noticed her blushing like a middle school girl. Seeking to convince herself that no one was looking at her, her eyes fell on her two other students, Suzuki Jun and Hirasawa Ui.

Sawako noticed that Satoshi, Ritsu's brother, was sitting a foot away from Ui, and he looked fidgety just by being near the guitarist. With her radar detecting something, her blush disappeared and her lips turned up into a gleeful smile.

When the song ended, everyone clapped, and both Ritsu and Yui pumped their fists into the air in excitement. Mio, Mugi and Azusa grinned, and Ritsu said,

"Alright gang, which song do we want next?"

"I vote _Honey Sweet Tea Time_, since Mugi-_senpai's_ back!" cried Azusa enthusiastically.

Everyone else seconded the motion, and as though Apollo's blessing was enveloping the Hirasawa household, Houkago Tea Time rocked till the sun had set beyond the clouds in the orange sky.

x~~*~~x

_Technically, this is a breather chapter, despite the few subtle developments that had happened. More things to come in the future, so please read and review, leaving behind your constructive criticism. Thank you!_

_About the ADHD thing, I hope no one gets offended by it. I'm not trying to offend anyone here, honest! *_* _


	10. Following Sea

_Presenting, Chapter 10! As usual, thoughts, Japanese words, flashbacks and other people on a phone line are in italics._

_Once again, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! Anonymous reviews have now been turned on for those who're too lazy to login; just please don't flame me since I'll just delete it anyway._

x~~*~~x

**Following Sea**

A few days had passed since the band had a practice session in the Hirasawa residence. It was a lovely day; the weather was fair and the temperature warm. Summer was fast approaching, and Ritsu thought of what had already been a ritual for the Light Music Club: a summer training camp at one of Mugi's villas.

She brought the topic up with Mio on the Friday of the week after while they were eating in Max Burger after classes; Yui wasn't with them today as she had to stay late for a practical exam in one of her classes.

"So Mio, what do you think? I think we should continue the tradition of having a training camp this summer too," said Ritsu between bites of a cheeseburger. Akiyama Mio nodded in reply.

"Best that we contact Mugi first; she might be having plans with her family or with her new friends… Hey Ritsu…"

The drummer looked up and said, "What?"

Mio looked awkwardly at her fries, prodding one of them with her fingers when she replied.

"Do you think Mugi's new friends are going to replace us?"

Ritsu looked at her as though she had grown an extra head and was pregnant. "What on earth are you going on about Mio? Do you have that little faith in Mugi?"

Ritsu set her burger down on her tray and continued after a small _ahem_.

"Look, remember the day she decided to join the club? I hate to say it, but I honestly believe that we were the first true friends she really had in her entire life. I think that she became a happier person when she felt that she belonged with us. Mugi has always hated being treated differently due to her wealth; it's part of the reason why she likes to take the train, why she would tell her servants to prepare the villas for us as normally as possible, and hell, why she decided to work as a cashier in this very restaurant!" exclaimed the sandy-haired brunette.

Mio was just stunned by Ritsu's lengthy speech. She didn't think Ritsu was this perceptive, and for a moment, she felt a chill go down her spine when she recalled the obvious tells she had shown six days ago in this same restaurant. However, the bassist took solace in the fact that, even in the event that Ritsu picked up on those signs, her reply was actually pretty favorable to her cause.

She had an inkling that Ritsu didn't care about girls being into other girls, and that alone boosted a part of Mio's confidence. She would look back on this revelation many years later and note that this was the beginning of forever in her eyes.

"Besides, we could also bring Ui, Jun, and my brother along," continued Ritsu. "Though Azusa will have her work cut out for her, this is an ample opportunity for her to hone her skills even more, since she'll practically be working with two bands. They're kinda different from us though, since they don't have a bassist. Of course, I don't think anyone they'd get would be better than you."

She flashed a "V" towards Mio's face while the raven-haired girl just gaped and felt the blood rushing towards the capillaries in her face.

"R-Ritsu, toilet," she muttered in haste as she stood up and quickly made her way to the bathroom.

As the sages say, haste makes waste. That was indeed the case today, as that proverb bit Mio in the ass, or more appropriately, exposed her ass. The bassist hadn't noticed a small packet of ketchup that was on the floor, which had just been mopped as evidenced by the nearby "Slippery When Wet" sign. To her utmost misfortune, she had stepped cleanly on the packet and she had fallen forward when she lost her footing, bracing her impact with her forearms so that there would be little risk of a fracture.

It was really the wrong day for Mio to be wearing a relatively short skirt. It was shorter than the ones Mugi usually wore, and when she had fallen over, the exact same thing that had happened at Houkago Tea Time's first Founder's Festival concert in Sakura High School had a repeat performance.

This time however, Tainaka Ritsu had a full view of Mio's panties, and while she involuntarily pinched her nose bridge to prevent the leakage of blood from her nostrils, she noticed Mio's underwear was not the usual blue and white striped ones that closely resembled the rice bowls the Akiyamas used.

To her utmost surprise, she was wearing black lacy lingerie. It only took one more second for Ritsu's head to cock backwards involuntarily like a pistol being loaded, a few drops of crimson liquid beginning to force their way through her nasal cavity

"_Goddamn Mio, that is so hot. Since when have you been wearing those things?"_ thought the drummer. "_I'd definitely tap that._"

Mio recovered quickly and blushed in embarrassment; the debacle had attracted the looks of a few customers. Some had looked on in concern, while others had glared at her backside with impunity, the blood rising to their faces as they did. Exactly like one Tainaka Ritsu, who was currently absentmindedly stuffing tissue paper into her nostrils.

Rubbing her arms which ached due to the impact with the floor, Mio headed to the bathroom to wash her arms and face, not daring to look back at Ritsu. _"Why oh why did I decide to wear these today?" _she thought miserably, indicating her underwear. "_What a perfect day to try wearing more mature lingerie,_" she thought sarcastically, cursing her luck.

"I just hope Ritsu enjoyed that; so that some good would've come out of this situation," she muttered to no one in particular.

"Enjoyed what?" came a voice from the door.

The bassist yelped in surprise and turned around to see Ritsu, who had just entered the washroom as well. Feeling concerned for her best friend, Ritsu had asked one of the clerks to not clear their table while she went to the washroom to help Mio out in any way. Mio had idly noted that tissue paper was protruding from her nostrils.

"Uh, uh, enjoy the food, of course," said Mio nervously. "I mean, I did treat you today…"

"Yeah, thanks for that Mio, can't help it if you're broke," chuckled Ritsu.

"That's because you spent your money on getting a copy of the latest volume of _Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga nai,_" quipped the bassist as she rolled her sleeves back and washed her hands.

Ritsu shrugged and said, "Hey, it's a pretty interesting manga after all. Besides, the main character's sister reminds me of Azusa for some unknown reason. It doesn't make sense, but eh."

x~~*~~x

In her final period physics class in Sakura High School, Nakano Azusa sneezed.

x~~*~~x

"In any case Mio, I think we should let Mugi know by the end of the day. If things go according to plan, we've got around a month until school breaks for summer vacation," said Ritsu, taking the tissue paper stuffed in her nostrils out and throwing them in the wastebasket. "Who's gonna do the honors? I don't feel like talking about this kind of planning would be appropriate if done through mail."

"I think you should do it, miss _buchou_," said Mio, smirking at the drummer. "Live up to your role, make up for all those forms that you passed late, inconveniencing Nodoka."

"Speaking of," interjected Ritsu. "Where's Nodoka now? I haven't heard a peep from her and Yui doesn't talk about her much."

Mio immediately replied, "Oh, Nodoka went to Tokyo U. She told me before college started that she had taken the entrance exam upon recommendation by Sakura High School, and she passed. I don't think she would've told you because I'd say that the people she was closest to in the club would've been Yui, obviously, and me."

"As expected of the _seitokaichou_," said Ritsu. "And the Mio-chan fan club president."

Mio's eyes furrowed in displeasure.

"Don't remind me about that. I don't even want to know if they're still active."

Consuming the last of her burger, Ritsu stood up and said,

"We better get going; I'll still have to call Mugi up. Gimme a moment; toilet."

Mio nodded as the drummer went to the washroom while she sat in silence, waving a bus boy over to clear their table out of courtesy for the next customers. She then remembered an important decision she had made so many months ago.

x~~*~~x

"_Good luck, Mio-chan," called out Mugi as Mio entered the staff room, leaving Yui, herself, and Ritsu waiting outside. The door closed gently, although it resonated with finality._

"_Well, here's the big one," said Ritsu quietly. "She's good enough for Tokyo U, and I heard a rumor that she got recommended for it from her fan club. She can totally make it, honestly."_

_Mugi could practically feel what Ritsu was feeling; the potential impending loss of her best friend, and perhaps not only that…_

"_I wish the four of us could all go to the same university!" exclaimed Yui. "Then, we could go practice more often; Azu-nyan's good enough so she can easily catch up to things. Going to the same university is going to be fun."_

"_Sorry Yui-chan, my father wants me to attend Lillian University over in Tokyo," replied Mugi. "I think I already mentioned it once or twice but there you go..."_

_Yui smiled softly and suddenly, the keyboardist felt arms encircle her waist; Yui's head nestling her upper back._

"_Don't worry Mugi-chan, you'll be okay. Come back and visit so we can have more tea and cake, like we always do, okay?"_

_While this was all taking place outside the staff room, Mio was inside, seated across Sawako in her small section in the room. Sawako was holding two sets of papers in her hands and Mio obviously looked indecisive._

_Sawako broke the silence, raising the sheaf of papers in her left hand._

"_So Mio-ch— uh, Akiyama-san. What'll it be? Red pill?"_

_She then raised the sheaf of papers in her right hand. "Or blue pill?"_

_Mio giggled and replied, "One Keanu, please."_

_Sawako giggled in reply and said, "Great to see a smile on your face, Akiyama-san. All I can say now is that you should decide which is best for you. Sure, you can take both examinations, but if you suddenly decide to study in the University of Shiga prefecture along with Hirasawa-san and Tainaka-san, if you pass Tokyo U's exam, I'm sure your parents will make a big case for you to attend that place."_

_Mio nodded and Sawako continued. "Of course, if you want to go to Tokyo U, then by all means do it."_

_She raised the sheaf of papers in her right hand again. "However… I apologize for being presumptuous, but if you truly wanted to go to Tokyo U, then we wouldn't be having this discussion, would we?"_

_Mio nodded again in silence, when she felt a hand on her head._

"_Follow your heart, Mio-chan," said Sawako quietly. "Follow your heart and you'll know what to do."_

"_Follow my heart…," echoed the bassist, taking in this rare occasion when Sawako was a reliable teacher._

_As though granted a boon by the gods, her face brightened and she now knew what to do._

x~~*~~x

"Oi, Mio. Ro-mio!" echoed Ritsu's voice in her ears. She didn't respond, and Ritsu decided to prank Mio in a relatively gentle way, nibbling gently on her left ear.

Mio was jolted to attention and she instinctively jerked away due to the extreme invasion of her personal space. Seeing Ritsu beside her smiling a very wide and gentle smile, Mio's irritation evaporated, replaced with slight interest in the action her best friend had taken.

"What was that for, Ritsu? Seen too many reruns of _Haruhi?_" teased Mio, poking Ritsu in the ribs.

Ritsu's knees buckled, replying as Mio stood up.

"_Amagami_. Let's go; I still have some homework in accounting to take care of. Stupid numbers…"

"At least you're better at math now; I told you that you could get better at stuff as long as you put your mind to it. Even stuff that isn't drumming. Yui's the most notable example of this," said Mio as they exited the establishment.

"Someday, I'm so going to be general manager of a hotel. And then when you have conventions for the Asian Medical Doctors Association, then I can let you stay over for free," said Ritsu thoughtfully, rubbing her chin.

"_Maybe even our personal room._"

x~~*~~x

After her physics class had ended, Azusa excused herself from both Ui and Jun and said that she was going to visit Yui at school today. That led to Azusa uncertainly padding around the campus of the University of Shiga prefecture, trying to recall the directions Yui had given her last night when she had come over for dinner. The Nakanos had been pretty liberal with where their daughter was going when they discovered that it was Yui's pad; they were okay with her and privately hoped that Azusa would pick up odds and ends that would improve her guitar playing skills.

Thus, they were more than happy to send her off with a sports bag in her hand when she said that she was going over for a study session, her parents conveniently forgetting that Yui was probably studying different subjects due to the degree she had taken.

Last night however, she hadn't brought her Fender Mustang at all; she decided to spend the night with Yui while both of them studied their own individual subjects. Thusly, it was had that Azusa was reviewing for a quiz in physics involving impulse-momentum analysis of rigid bodies, while Yui was busy whipping up a salad, as that was what they were going to do for tomorrow's practical.

x~~*~~x

_She expertly sliced the tomatoes and cucumbers evenly, having dried the lettuce prior to that. She added a few other ingredients like grapes and croutons afterwards. Smiling when she thought of how proud Ui would be right now if she could see her, she called to Azusa._

"_Azu-nyan, the salad's almost done. Eat it up and honestly tell me what you think, okay?"_

"_Roger, Yui-_senpai_," replied the twin-tailed girl who flipped another page on the legal pad she was solving problems on._

_Five minutes later, the two of them sat at the table with Yui looking on expectantly, a bowl of fresh greens in front of Azusa, alongside two bottles of Caesar salad dressing and ranch dressing._

"Douzo_, Azu-nyan," said Yui with a smile on her face, the apron decorated with the Dango Daikazoku that she had been wearing discarded and hanging on the chair in front of her study desk._

"Itadakimasu!_" said Azusa as she decided to take the ranch dressing, pouring an ample amount of it on the salad that Yui had prepared. "_Senpai_, this dressing is going to make me fat."_

_Yui pat her pouting _kouhai _on the head gently and said, "It doesn't matter; you're still cute even if you gain some weight, and realistically, you're not going to gain any weight from something like this."_

_Azusa speared a bit of lettuce and tomato with her fork and ate it. "Mmm, Yui-_senpai_, nicely done. You might need to further dry the lettuce though."_

"_Thanks for the comments, Azu-nyan! Make sure to come tomorrow to my practical exam, since our _sensei_ allows spectators. She told us how she'd always let her boyfriend sit in her practical exams with permission from her own _sensei_ when she was still a student."_

_Yui furiously began to scribble directions down on a piece of Hello Kitty stationery she had while Azusa continued to eat the salad she had made._

x~~*~~x

Azusa finally found the room and knocked gently on the door; people easily noticed her since she was wearing the school uniform of Sakura High School. After a beat, the door opened and a beautiful young woman who had the left side of her lime-green hair tied up with a brown ribbon stood in the doorway, wearing an apron over a t-shirt and jeans.

"Ah, you must be Hirasawa-san's guest," said the woman immediately. "Come in, come in."

Azusa bowed and replied, "Thank you for allowing me to visit today. My name is Nakano Azusa and I'm a senior at Sakura High School."

"Nice to meet you, Nakano-san. I'm Shigure Asa, associate professor of Culinary Arts," replied the woman, smiling as she stepped aside to let Azusa into the classroom.

Azusa stepped into the classroom and saw that Yui was the only student in the classroom. "Shigure-_sensei_, you're pretty young for an associate professor," blurted out the _kouhai_. "Oh, I apologize for the rudeness!"

Asa chuckled and replied, "Oh don't worry, I love it when people compliment me on my age. Hirasawa-san! Nakano-san is already here; let's get started, shall we?"

Yui turned to Asa and Azusa and her lips curved up into a bright smile when she saw Azusa raising a hand timidly to greet her.

Dropping the tongs she was holding into the sink, she ran towards Azusa and gave her a very intense hug.

"Y-Yui-_senpai_, you're crushing me," choked out Azusa as Asa chuckled behind them.

"Hey, are you two dating or anything?" asked Asa in a conspirational tone. "Don't worry; I'm okay with that since two of my best girlfriends are dating. To think one of them is a princess and the other was my best friend from middle school. Ironically, that friend of mine and myself kind of fought over the same guy. He's my boyfriend now."

Asa giggled after that.

"That's uh, really fascinating, Shigure-_sensei_," muttered Azusa, a drop of sweat cascading down her face as she wriggled out of Yui's grip. "Yui-_senpai_, shouldn't you be starting now?"

"Oh right!" exclaimed both Yui and Asa in unison.

Wordlessly, the two set about to their business and Azusa felt the aura in the room change to one of seriousness and dedication. It was evident while Yui set about to preparing the gourmet-style salad, lavishing attention on aesthetics as well as technique, while Asa looked on in approval.

A short while later, the deed was done and Asa had sampled Yui's preparation of salad with Asian dressing.

"I'd give it a 10/10, Hirasawa-san. I could feel the love that you put into your salad's preparation. Could it possibly be for… Nakano-san over here?" said Asa gleefully, giggling as she pulled Azusa beside her.

"Yup!" said Yui happily as she cleaned up after herself. "It's for my Azu-nyan alright!"

"Nakano-san, you're really lucky to have Hirasawa-san," whispered Asa into Azusa's ear.

"She is not my girlfriend!" exclaimed Azusa in surprise.

Yui looked back towards the two of them and said, "But I'm a girl and we're friends, aren't we, Azu-nyan?"

Azusa nearly fell over in exasperation while Asa chuckled. "All done!" exclaimed Yui happily. "Are the two of us excused now, Asa-_sensei?_"

"Good work, Hirasawa-san. See you next week! Nice to meet you, Nakano-san," said Asa as she led them towards the door.

"Likewise, Shigure-_sensei_," replied Azusa, bowing politely the way her parents had taught her. "Come, Yui-_senpai_, let's head home."

The two left, with Yui giggling internally. She had known exactly what "girlfriend" meant in that context, but Yui felt like the time wasn't right yet, especially after a few things Azusa had told her the previous night.

Apparently, word had gotten out that they were going to play as a band at the Founder's Festival, with special permission from the headmaster of the school who was a major supporter of the arts and music departments in Sakura High School. Special permission was necessary because the Light Music Club had been abolished some time ago, and because Satoshi was not a student of the school.

Everything would've been okay, except that the up and coming band were going to cover most of Houkago Tea Time's songs, due to Azusa's expertise in the matter. All they had to do was to adjust to the lack of a bassist and it could still fly. Therein lay the problem. They didn't have a bassist, and that was the least of their worries. They could probably get Mio to stand in for them if push came to shove, although that would be a very bad idea for two reasons.

The first was that their band, which they had decided to name "_Okawari"_, wanted to stand on its own feet. The second problem tied in to Azusa's current worry, the Mio fan club. Azusa had told Yui the previous night that the bullying was returning again with a vengeance. The guitarist had taken to bringing her Fender Mustang with her wherever she went, even to the bathroom, provided that either Ui or Jun weren't around to look after it. She was not going to take any chances with the pride of her life and career being tampered with or worse, destroyed by the haters.

It had started Monday of that very week. They had visited Sawako that morning to ask if they could perform at the Founder's Festival and she had replied that they had to ask the headmaster's permission first, because they weren't an official organization and because one of their members wasn't even a student of Sakura High School.

Taking her words to heart, the trio had gone to the headmaster and begged him to let them have their debut at their alma mater. They had been surprised when the man had agreed immediately without any protest.

"_Music is what makes life flow through our school. I pride myself in upholding the standards of fine arts in our beloved school, and the bust of the founder outside should be proud of us right now. One condition though: your male bandmate must conduct himself as a gentleman at all times within the campus, since majority of the population will still be girls. Is that clear?" the headmaster said._

_Ui nodded quickly and replied._

"_Tainaka Satoshi is definitely a gentleman, _sensei!_ Whenever we would practice, he'd always place priority on us first before himself. He'd hold doors open for us when we'd go out, and he'd always compliment my compositions with a sincere smile on his face. Satoshi-kun is—"_

_Ui was cut off by Jun who had clamped her hand over Ui's mouth._

"_Sorry about that _sensei_, Ui here got a bit carried away, heh." Azusa was trying her hardest to not giggle at Ui right now; if her instincts were spot on she'd say that she was enamored with the younger Tainaka._

"_Excuse us then, _sensei_," said Azusa while bowing. "We deeply appreciate what you have done for us."_

_As the trio exited the office, the headmaster just smiled and muttered to himself, "Ah, the wonders of youth. To think Hirasawa Ui, currently leading the academic race for batch valedictorian, would act that way over a boy."_

x~~*~~x

"Hey, Yui-_senpai,_" said Azusa, breaking the silence between them as they headed home. "Yui-_senpai? _You've been spacing out for the past few minutes now."

"More than the usual," added the twin-tailed girl under her breath.

Yui perked up and turned to Azusa with a smile on her face. "Oh nothing Azu-nyan, just wondering how things will go in school for you from now on. Stay strong, okay? If you need anything, you know where to go…"

Azusa nodded and grinned, her right hand going into her uniform's left pocket, feeling for the iron key that she kept in there. To be honest, Azusa never left home without the key to Yui's apartment with her. She felt that she was closer to her beloved _senpai_ just because of the key's presence on her person. The key gave her a feeling of security, which was how she had just turned away the recent upsurge of bullying in school.

It was as though at any given time, she could just waltz into Yui's apartment and she would feel safety, comfort, security, and maybe even…

"…love," breathed out Azusa quietly.

"What did you say, Azu-nyan?" asked Yui, turning to Azusa with an inquisitive look on her face.

"O-Oh nothing at all, Yui-_senpai_," replied Azusa, flustered how she had let her guard down. "_I don't know when the time will be right for me to come clean about my feelings. But for the time being…,_" the _kouhai _thought as she leaned into Yui's side, taking the brunette by surprise. Yui recovered though, and placed a hand on top of Azusa's head, patting her gently.

"_I'm content with what I have right now._"

x~~*~~x

"Hello Ricchan, good evening!" chirped Mugi happily as she spoke into her cellphone. She was surprised that her phone was actually ringing and that the caller was Ritsu; people outside her servants rarely called her and even her servants rarely did call her. A phone call on Kotobuki Tsumugi's cellphone was indeed, a rare occurrence.

"_Oh hey Mugi, evenin' to ya. I've got a question: are we going to hold a training camp this year as well?_" came Ritsu's voice through the phone.

The blonde put a finger on her lips and thought and replied, "A moment, Ricchan," covering the mouthpiece of her cellphone as she did so. Turning to Yumi, who was idly reading through her Biology textbook on her bed, she asked,

"Yumi-san, do we have any plans for summer vacation in about a month's time?"

Yumi thought about it for a moment and replied, "Well, I'm spending the entire vacation at _onee-sama's_ summer villa. I believe Yoshino-san is going to be busy with Rei-sama and Shimako-san is going to be helping out at their Buddhist shrine at home."

Mugi did a double take. "Wait, Shimako-san is Buddhist? But I thought she went to Lillian Girl's Academy with you…"

Yumi chuckled and replied, "Yes, it was quite a long story that eventually got resolved when she got her _petite soeur__,_ the current Rosa Gigantea Nijou Noriko-chan. In any case, we as a group don't have any plans for the summer break."

Mugi nodded and uncovered the mouthpiece on her cellphone. "Hello Ricchan? Yes, I'm quite free. According to my schedule as well, we can use the third largest villa we own this time."

"_Great Mugi! By the way, can Jun, Ui, and my brother come along? They have a gig at Sakura's Founder's Festival this year and they could use a training camp._"

"No problem. The more the merrier, as the wise say!" giggled Mugi happily, euphoric at the thought of spending a three-day-two-night training camp with Houkago Tea Time and the _kouhai_. "I'll let my servants know when I go home tomorrow. Good night, Ricchan!"

Mugi ended the call and immediately turned to Yumi. To the former Rosa Chinensis, it was as though the blonde's eyes were sparkling.

"Guess what Yumi-san? We're going on another training camp this summer! It's become a ritual for Houkago Tea Time, and we're continuing now even after we've graduated from high school."

Yumi smiled, happy for her roommate. Rarely had she seen Mugi this happy in Lillian University; most of the time, her face held a neutral expression and when she laughed and smiled, she felt as though something was missing. Yumi was a perceptive person, and she knew that even now, Mugi longed for her high school friends. Making mental notes to make her enjoy her time here even more with Yoshino, Shimako and herself, Yumi lay back down on the bed, closing her Biology textbook.

"It's a pleasure to see you happy Mugi-chan, but I wish you'd also feel happier spending time with us. It's true that we can't replace your bandmates, but Yoshino-san, Shimako-san, and myself are trying our best. _Onee-sama_ is no good at this stuff, so it's left to me. I just hope that someday, you would hold us at the same level that you do Akiyama-san, Tainaka-san, Hirasawa-san, and Nakano-san," said Yumi as she rolled away from Mugi's eyes. She didn't want to look at the blonde while she voiced her feelings; she really was trying her best after all.

She froze when she felt arms encircle around her, linking beneath her breasts. She felt the tenderness that the keyboardist radiated through her hug, and she felt guilty at the words she had said earlier.

"Yumi-san, please don't feel that way. It's true that I'm really attached to them, since they're my bandmates and my first true friends, people whom I've grown to love… That doesn't mean that I don't love you, Shimako-san, and Yoshino-san as well. I know how you all want to make me feel at home here, and I can feel and appreciate it. To me, I don't hold any of my friends at different levels from each other; all of you are my precious friends whom I love," whispered Mugi.

The tune of _Honey Sweet Tea Time_ broke the silence and Mugi unclasped her arms from around Yumi, while the latter just shed a few tears of happiness upon hearing Mugi's words. Padding over to her bed, she saw that she had another phone call, and she picked it up, noting that the number was not in her contact list.

"A pleasant evening to you; Kotobuki Tsumugi speaking," she answered the way her father had taught her.

"_Jeez Mugi-chan, no need to be formal with me,_" came a cheerful voice.

"Sei-san, it's you! Hello, what brings you to have this conversation with me?" asked Mugi. Yumi's ears perked upon hearing it was Sei on the line and she listened discreetly to the conversation.

"_I was just wondering if you'd like to head out to town with me tomorrow, if you're free._"

Mugi thought about it momentarily and replied without hesitation.

"I'm free tomorrow; I'd love to hang out with you."

The alarm bells began ringing in Yumi's mind as though they were as urgent as a nuclear warning. "_Sei-sama is far too capricious to be trusted with Mugi-chan all alone. Who knows what things she will pull? I mean, Mugi-chan misses her _sensei_; what if Sei-sama turns those feelings to her advantage?_"

"_That's great Mugi-chan! I'll drop by the dorms after lunch. See you then,_" said Sei as she ended the phone call.

"Well, that was unexpected, I must say," Mugi said to Yumi, who was looking at Mugi with a fearful look on her face. "Is there something on my face Yumi-san?"

Yumi shook her head.

"Mugi-chan… Be careful with Sei-sama if you're going to be alone with her. She's quite a capricious woman, trust me. Be on your guard at all times. Remember Sawako-_sensei, _no matter what_._"

Mugi chuckled and said, "Don't worry Yumi-san; Sei-san wouldn't hurt a fly."

"_That's not the problem!" _thought Yumi in exasperation. "In any case, I'll just have to trust your judgement. It's getting late; I'd best turn in since I'm leaving for home tomorrow morning. Don't forget to lock up while you're out, Mugi-chan."

Mugi bid Yumi good night as the twin-tailed brunette curled up on her bed. The blonde was left to muse why Yumi had felt so… apprehensive about Sei.

x~~*~~x

The lights were out, the evening quiet, save for the sound of a continuously running electric fan in Tainaka Ritsu's bedroom. She was half-asleep, dreaming about her consultation with the psychologist nearly one week prior.

"_Good morning Tainaka-san. As you may have seen on the door, my name is Aozaki Touko," said the beautiful redhead as she took a legal pad out of her briefcase. "So tell me, you came here today to have yourself professionally diagnosed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, correct?"_

_Ritsu nodded quietly and the doctor continued._

"_I will make a formal diagnosis based on today's consultation. You can trust me; I'm very good in this field."_

"_Thank you, _sensei_," replied Ritsu formally, as the situation requested._

"_So to begin with, what gave you the idea that you could possibly suffer from this disorder?" asked Touko, tapping her legal pad thoughtfully with her fountain pen._

_Ritsu then recounted everything that had happened, how she had heard the psychology major blurt out the disorder, how she had researched it on Wikipedia, and how she had quantified most of what she was as symptoms of the disorder. She also recounted a few things that Mio said; after all, she was taking a class in psychology as well and decided to throw her two yen in._

_While the drummer talked, Touko just took down notes on the legal pad, as well as writing a few things on an official looking prescription or document. When Ritsu had finished, Touko just looked at her thoughtfully and laughed a clear laugh full of mirth; Ritsu wouldn't have been surprised if the people outside had heard her laughing._

"_My dear Tainaka-san, there is absolutely no way you can be suffering from ADHD," said Touko with a rare smile on her face. "From what you've told me, I can already see a lot of things that contradict the symptoms of the disorder. You promised your best friend you'd form a band and followed through with it. The drums take a lot of practice and dedication to get good at, as you have done. Even with just those two, I can say confidently that you are not suffering from ADHD."_

_Touko slammed her hands on the desk in emphasis and Ritsu jerked involuntarily, her eyes straying to the doctor's nails that had been painted orange. She also noticed the ashtray behind her by the window, and saw that it was littered with cigarette butts. To her mild surprise, she realized that she didn't even smell a single whiff of tobacco in the room._

"_Let me sign this document off; just pay up at the counter, okay?" said Touko as she scribbled._

"_Um, Aozaki-_sensei…_," started Ritsu tentatively. Touko looked up at her with a questioning look on her face and Ritsu continued._

"_Since we're here, I'd like to ask you another questions. Private questions."_

_When Touko didn't reply except for a nod, Ritsu said,_

"_I'm in love with my best friend. I know that homosexuality isn't weird, but… okay to put it bluntly, I need love advice. Life counseling, or whatever you call it."_

_For the second time that morning, Touko laughed a loud clear laugh, and the drummer was completely surprised as to why _nobody_ had opened the door asking what the hell was going on in there. Of course, she didn't know that Touko had used a rune to dampen the sound; no one else within fifty miles knew she was a magus._

"Well, unless Mikiya happens to be wandering around here in Shiga prefecture…,_" thought Touko. "_Or Shiki, but eh…_"_

"_So, you want love advice huh. Alright, give me what you've got, squirt," said Touko amusedly._

_Ritsu began to describe everything about Mio: how she was easily scared, a girly-girl, easily embarrassed, short-tempered, and occasionally stubborn. She also told her that she had received fairly good responses regarding her probing about whether or not Mio was into girls as well._

_Touko had this to say after she had heard everything._

"_Play it cool. Wait for her to come to you for something, then use the context of the situation to your advantage. Do it subtly or else she will know something's up. Be there for her; that's the most important thing. For example, if you're alone with her, make her feel loved without exactly defining what love means. Change how you love her subtly through your actions."_

_She coughed, and continued. "Subtlety is your best friend. If you're with her in a room where you're both sleeping, show physical affection but not too much physical affection. Don't unsettle her by overdoing it. Again, play it cool and use the situation to your advantage. You look smart enough to do that, Tainaka-san. Try removing your hair band more often."_

_Touko reached over the desk and gently removed Ritsu's hair band. "The way your bangs falls in front of your face give your appearance a completely different appeal. Determine whether or not she likes this. That's all I have to say right now."_

"_You seem to be quite experienced, _sensei_," quipped the drummer as she stood up and shook Touko's hand. "Thanks for everything."_

_Touko handed her the document signifying her diagnosis and added one last crack as Ritsu turned the doorknob._

"_You know you're an expert if you get a murderer to fall in love with the person she had been targeting."_

x~~*~~x

Saturday was coming to an end, and so was Mugi's time with Sei. She had a lot of fun today, talking about things they had in common, like their sexual orientation for one, and going around seeing places in the city, went to the arcade and ate at a McDonald's and shopped for clothes at a department store.

As they were nearing the corner where Klaus was waiting in one of the Kotobukis' many limousines, Mugi was taken by surprise when seemingly out of nowhere, Sei pulled her close to her side.

When the keyboardist looked up, she felt a warm, moist feeling on her lips. Just as soon as it began, the kiss ended, and Mugi looked at Sei with a stunned look on her face.

"I like you a lot Mugi-chan. See ya," said the older woman as she let go of the keyboardist and ran in the direction they had come from as fast as she could, leaving the blonde just standing in her wake holding a finger to her lips.

x~~*~~x

_Umm…_

_Yeah…_

_By the way, the chapter title refers to a wave direction that matches the current heading of your boat. For example, if you're heading north, and the waves are also heading north, then the waves are called a following sea. I read in a book once where a character named his boat after this phenomenon because his father had always told him to watch out for the following sea, since it strikes when you least expect it. Given what has happened this chapter, I think it's very appropriate._

___I know exactly what I'm planning here, so I hope you guys will continue to follow, read, and review to see how this turns out._


	11. Interlude: Convergence

_Osu! Happy birthday to our favorite brunette lead guitarist with a Gibson Les Paul Hirasawa Yui!_

_As it's an interlude, expect the chapter to be shorter than usual. Note the time skip that happens, speed readers._

x~~*~~x

**Interlude: Convergence**

The blonde couldn't sleep at all that night. Tossing and turning about in her king-sized bed in the Kotobuki mansion, Tsumugi was far too stunned by what had happened at the end of her "date" with Satou Sei.

The woman had kissed her when her guard was at its lowest. It was a kiss that had no strings attached; it lacked anything kinky in it, now that Mugi thought about it. A neutral kiss, and yet…

She had felt that Sei was at least half-serious about what she had said.

_I like you a lot, Mugi-chan._

She was dazed throughout dinner earlier, dinner that she had together with her father, which was a dire rarity in the Kotobuki mansion. She wasn't able to appreciate the dinner she had arranged with her father though, and unbeknownst to her, Mr. Kotobuki wasn't as unperceptive as he thought.

Being the person that he was, he was confident in his Tsumugi's skills to overcome whatever was troubling her, and he paid no further attention to his daughter's manifestation of her internal turmoil. He, however, thought that it would be nice if he could take time off with his daughter… but companies and conglomerates don't run themselves, do they?

Tossing and turning once more, the blonde decided to resort to something she hadn't done since the first time she had discovered it a few years ago. Trying her best to fill her mind with thoughts that excluded Satou Sei, out of desperation, she imagined Yamanaka Sawako beside her on this very bed, stripped down to her bare undergarments, lips moving in towards her own as her right hand went to a certain spot in the southern region of her body…

x~~*~~x

However, Tsumugi was to be denied the simple pleasure of sleeping her troubles off. Punishment perhaps, for resorting to _that_? She didn't know, and her sleep was punctuated by the events that had happened earlier that day, as though she was watching herself on a film reel.

x~~*~~x

_Again, the keyboardist was having fun; truthfully having fun like she hadn't experienced since the last time she had seen Sei. While last time was a wild ride in arcades and karaoke boxes, their meeting this time was a relatively tamer affair._

_It was around one in the afternoon when Mugi was picked up by Sei from the dorm; Yumi had already left much much earlier for her home so Mugi was tasked to lock up, as her roommate had reminded her the previous evening._

"_Sup Mugi-chan," said Sei as she raised a hand in greeting. She was wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and crosstraining rubber shoes._

_Mugi looked down at her own attire and, to her own surprise, she thought she was overdressed. She was wearing a long skirt, a blouse, her usual wide brimmed hat and flats, with a small magenta purse slung across her shoulder. Sei had a black duffel bag with her that appeared to contain paper. Not thinking about such things further, Mugi walked off with Sei and upon further discussion, decided that their first order of business would be to have lunch._

_They had flagged a taxi down that would take them straight to the heart of Tokyo, and Mugi had messaged Klaus that he was to pick her up when they were finished at her current coordinates at that time._

"Damn, I hope she doesn't pick an expensive restaurant; I'm not exactly the richest of people right now. Scratch that; I'm not the richest of people, period,_" thought Sei grimly as Mugi sat beside her in the taxi that was weaving through traffic._

"_Sei-san, would lunch at McDonalds be alright with you?" asked the blonde, her eyes seemingly glittering as Sei could only gape at her choice of restaurant._

"_M-Mugi-chan, are you serious about that? You're okay with lunch at McDonalds?"_

"_Of course! I've never eaten their food in the restaurant itself before, because the only time I had tasted their food was years ago when my father decided to throw a party to celebrate my graduation from middle school. He ordered in bulk from the establishment and I would very much like to taste those, uh, Big Macs once again."_

_Sei just nodded dumbly and thought how sheltered the Kotobuki heiress was. "_Someone to rival even Sachiko, despite the fact that their personalities are worlds apart… I wonder…_"_

"_Say Mugi-chan, would you happen to know someone named Ogasawara Sachiko? She's Yumi's _onee-sama_, I'm not quite sure if she's—"_

_She was interrupted by Mugi's squeal of excitement. "Of course; you'd know Sachiko-neesan! Shimako-san told me you were the former Rosa Gigantea so it would make sense that you'd know her!"_

"_Sachiko… neesan?" repeated Sei dumbly, astounded at the connections the blonde beside her, giggling happily, had._

_And yet… She gazed at Mugi who sat beside her and could somehow feel that something was off about her. The longing she had sensed the last time… it was still there, and a lightbulb flickered in her mind, and she now knew the path she would take with Mugi._

_Upon arriving at a McDonalds outlet, the two quickly ordered two Big Macs and sat down at a small table in the corner, both quietly intoning "_Itadakimasu!_" before diving into their respective burgers._

_Sei watched Mugi eat out of the corner of her eye and smiled in satisfaction when she noticed how neat and clean the ojou was as she ate a large burger that normally entailed condiments and coleslaw dropping intermittently from the sandwich onto the table. Internally shrugging, she continued to eat while they both talked about life in the university, the latest trends in fashion, gossip, and their taste in music._

_Mugi felt as though a small Thundershock had been sent down her spine when Sei offhandedly mentioned how much she loved metal._

"_It was a small indie band that never really got a big break; apparently, the members all moved on with their lives and didn't really make a career out of music. Ever heard of DEATH DEVIL, Mugi-chan?"_

_About to take a bite from the large sandwich in her hands, and as though she was then encased in a block of ice, she just stopped, appearing to onlookers to be a motionless doll, her eyes not even moving._

"She's a fan of _sensei's_ band? That's…,_" thought Mugi, turmoil circulating through her mind. Lately, Sawako hadn't been messaging her, because things were getting busy and she was helping Azusa out as her homeroom teacher in dealing with the renewed assault of bullying she was receiving due to the fact that word of their Founder's Festival concert had leaked to the general public of Sakura High School._

_Reminded painfully of the lack of contact, the longing in her heart intensified and she hadn't realized that Sei was staring at her as though analyzing a lab rat in a Biology class._

"She's definitely missing her… although why she just manifested those thoughts now was a mystery to me,_" thought Sei._

"_Hey, Sei-san… Did you know that Catherine from DEATH DEVIL… is Sawako-_sensei_?" mumbled Mugi, putting her burger down and resting her head on her hands which she propped onto the table with her elbows._

"_Who?"_

"_Sawako, my former homeroom _sensei_, Light Music Club advisor and the woman I love. She used Catherine as her stage name back when she was DEATH DEVIL's lead guitarist and vocalist," said Mugi neutrally._

_Sei just dropped her burger in shock, the patty sliding out ungracefully as the comestible hit the plate with a flop. The lead guitarist and vocalist of her favorite indie metal band was the woman Mugi was in love with? Hell, she was her teacher as well! Trying to wrap around her head around the fact that the wildest member of DEATH DEVIL settled down and became a respected teacher was the least of her worries._

"_Why are you telling me this, Mugi-chan?" said Sei carefully; she knew she was treading on a potential disaster right here. Being the perceptive woman she was, she knew that the blonde was headed towards a small breakdown in the near future unless something happened, and fast._

_She wryly thought about the time so long ago when Sachiko had just taken Yumi as her _petite soeur_ and they were having communication problems. Shimako was planning to interfere at the time, but she had stopped her own _petite soeur_ from meddling in business that wasn't hers._

_She needed that wisdom again. She genuinely liked the blonde and wanted her to be happy. The lightbulb in her mind glowing brightly, the path before her illuminated with the strength of a thousand candles, Satou Sei set about her greatest project yet._

"_I don't know myself, Sei-san. It's just that I haven't been speaking to _sensei_ lately; as the homeroom teacher of the _kouhai_ we had left behind when I and my peers graduated, she currently has a lot on her plate to handle. I know it's irrational, but I can't help it," mumbled Mugi, who was about to bury her face in her hands before Sei stopped her, gripping her right hand in her own._

"_Mugi-chan, love makes us humans irrational. It's a fact of life, really, so there's absolutely no need at all to beat yourself up over it," said Sei, who firmly gripped Mugi's right hand, squeezing it reassuringly._

_Seeing the blonde smile made Sei happy, and they finished their meal without any more incident._

_They whiled the afternoon away, spending about an hour at the arcade, playing air hockey. Surprisingly, Mugi was quite good at air hockey, and Sei felt like smashing her head into a figurative desk when Mugi mentioned that they owned an air hockey table at her home when she wondered aloud about Mugi's skills._

_It was already three in the afternoon, and Mugi had told Sei that she was leaving at five so that she'd be able to catch her father before he left on his business trip in Switzerland. They decided to go clothes shopping at a department store; while Mugi recounted to Sei how she had convinced her father to leave a bit later so they could have dinner together. She was happy for Mugi that her father had relented; she assumed that Mugi's father was similar to the typical conglomerate patriarch who neglected his children in favor of running the family business._

_Sei wasn't too far off and yet she was completely wrong in a way; Mr. Kotobuki indeed loved his own daughter; he was just too busy to show it. Mugi of course knew this and just continued to believe in her own father, despite the lack of time he had available. She understood it as well; her father needed to run the business she would inherit someday._

"_I think that's why my first love right now is so important to me. Gender isn't an issue at all, I'd say, but I think the way and reason I fell in love with Sawako-_sensei_ is because I couldn't feel my father's love. I do not really doubt him; I understand since I know how it's like, what he does every day. Sawako-_sensei_ probably is the older person figure I had been searching for all this time, only that the love is in the romantic aspect," said Mugi, trying on another dress. "I think I like this one."_

_It was a long floral dress that perfectly matched her gentle nature, but Sei had other ideas. "Try this one on," she said, while shoving articles of assorted red and black clothing and what appeared to be a cape into the surprised blonde's hands. Closing the curtains, Mugi began to change, and when she saw what Sei had handed to her, she began to giggle like a schoolgirl. She had seen this anime back in 2004, when she was still in her first year of middle school and she was looking for a hobby that would entertain her, since her classmates were a bit intimidated by her wealth. The blonde took out elastic ties from her purse and tied her air into pigtails, and when she had finished putting the black-and-red articles of clothing on, she opened the curtain with a flash and intoned in a quiet and serious voice._

"_Bardiche… Set Up!"_

_Sei laughed out loud, attracting the attention of nearby customers who then noticed the alluring Fate Testarossa cosplay that Mugi was currently parading in the fitting room. A few raised their eyebrows in momentary interest before turning away, a few other people looked on at how well the blonde carried the costume, and no one noticed a certain blue-haired girl snapping pictures with an SLR camera from a distance._

"_Houkago Tea Time's keyboardist and resident ojou-sama is into this stuff, huh? Interesting find, now what will people on 2ch think…," she muttered to herself as she shuffled away quietly, no doubt eager to post her findings on the famous board._

"_I didn't think you'd catch on, Mugi-chan," remarked Sei as the two of them exited the department store, leaving behind the Fate Testarossa costume in a neat pile by the fitting room. "I didn't peg you as an anime person."_

"_Well, it was years ago when I chanced upon the medium in a more in-depth fashion. I was looking for hobbies to stem off loneliness in middle school when I discovered that anime that showed on TV was actually sold on DVDs depending on the series," said Mugi as they rounded a corner that led them nearer and nearer to where Klaus was waiting for the Kotobuki heiress. "Thus, I picked up quite a few shows that catered to my, um, interests. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl, Strawberry Panic! and Kannazuki no Miko to name a few."_

"_Those are all _yuri_ shows," remarked Sei with interest._

_Mugi nodded and said, "You don't think it's wrong, right? Girls being with other girls? I never really asked you what you thought about it…"_

_Sei laughed and exclaimed, "Mugi-chan, girls being with other girls is freaking great and awesome! I'm disappointed in you; I already told you that I liked other girls too!"_

"_I know that," replied Mugi. "I mean to say; did it ever cross your mind that what you were doing is wrong? One major religion in the world is strongly against homosexuality, and I've just wondered how you thought about it."_

"_Pardon the language, Mugi-chan, but they can go fuck themselves," replied Sei, scoffing. "Love does not take into account the genders of both parties. Love is something that transcends that. As long as you are happy…"_

_Mugi nodded and they finally were walking along the street where Klaus would be waiting around the corner._

"_See you around sometime, Mugi-chan," said Sei casually, the gears in her mind already at work as to how she would pull things off. From what she knew, there could only be one reaction to what she was planning, and she hoped against hope that she was right._

_Let it be said that all Satou Sei wanted was the best for Kotobuki Tsumugi. With that in mind, she suddenly pulled Mugi close to her side and kissed her quickly but gently on her lips when the blonde looked up at her._

"_I like you a lot Mugi-chan. See ya," Sei said as she let go of Mugi and ran in the direction they had both come from, not daring to look back._

"_This should be one big push towards your happiness, Mugi-chan. You've always felt comfortable, haven't you? I think it's time you got introduced to something called conflict. Let it be said that conflict sometimes makes things more productive. One of a few things I learned from that stuck-up Sachiko," muttered Sei to herself as she smiled._

_Unfortunately, Mugi was not privy to Sei's thoughts, so she just robotically stepped into the limousine and when she had arrived at the Kotobuki mansion, she robotically ate dinner with her father who had immediately left for Switzerland after that._

x~~*~~x

Tsumugi was never the same after that. Yumi, Shimako, and Yoshino all noted that _something_ had happened on her date with Sei, but the keyboardist was unwilling to spill the beans, no matter the effort they directed into wringing information from her. Their tea parties ended up having Shimako, Yoshino, and Yumi doing all the talking while Mugi played classical music pieces, soft adult contemporary songs and as well as piano arrangements of some of Houkago Tea Time's songs on her Korg synthesizer, while she sung softly, serenading the occupants of the room.

"I guess the fact that she isn't emo is good enough," muttered Yoshino while Mugi played _Love of my Life_ by Jim Brickman. "Although the song _could_ be construed as her expressing her melancholy in a productive way."

"And we _still_ have no idea of what exactly happened between her and _onee-sama_," whispered Shimako in worry. "Yumi-san, no progress?"

The pigtailed girl just shook her head and the month of June just flew by like that. July first had arrived and summer vacation for both Lillian University and the University of Shiga Prefecture had just started.

"Excuse me, Yumi-san, Yoshino-san, Shimako-san," said Mugi as she was packing up a few things to take home, along with her Korg. "I called you three here because… I wanted to invite you along to Houkago Tea Time's annual summer training camp that'll be held at one of my villas by the sea. It's a bit last minute but I do hope that you can make it."

After a short consultation with each of their respective schedules, mostly involving phone calls to their families, the three responded favorably a few hours later.

Mugi had already spoken to Mio, Yui, Ritsu, and Azusa about the training camp, and everyone said that it was a go. The plan was to meet up at four in the morning at the train station near Sakura High School, where they'd take a train ride along the sea, getting off at a faraway station where a limousine would be waiting to take them to the third largest villa in the possession of the Kotobuki family.

She had also called up Sawako, having informed her a week ago about the training camp but she wanted to make sure…

"Hello, Sawako-_sensei_? It's me, Mugi-chan," spoke the blonde quietly into her cellphone. It was already twenty-three-hundred hours and Yumi was fast asleep; they were leaving the dorms at two-thirty in the morning so they could hopefully make it to Shiga prefecture by four in the morning.

"_Hey Mugi-chan, what's up? Why are you still up anyway; I thought the agreed upon time was four in the morning?_"

"Well… I just wanted to make sure you _really_ were coming, _sensei_."

"_Mugi-chan, do you really not trust me that much? I cleared my entire schedule for the next three days, even foregoing that meet-up with Nanako I was planning for old times' sake this week._"

Mugi's blood froze and she asked softly, a feeling of trepidation coursing through her veins, "_Sensei_, who is this Nanako?"

"_Oh, she was my roommate back in college. Kuroi Nanako. She was actually another reason why my dad and I don't get along at all. You see, my dad once suspected that the two of us were dating._"

Upon hearing Mugi's gasp on the phone, Sawako immediately continued.

"_Of course I swear we weren't going out. I really didn't think I was into girls back then, and she did nothing but play Final Fantasy games on her Playstation in our room back then. If you're worried, Mugi-chan, don't. I never really knew that I could swing the other way as well until I got dumped by a guy a few years ago. And to think I thought that Ichigo was bad._"

"Who was Ichigo again?" asked the keyboardist softly, feeling the underlying sadness that Sawako was exuding, even over the phone.

"_The boy I became wild for,_" came the reply with shades of forgotten melancholy. "_In any case, I'll make it clear; I'm perfectly single at the moment, alright?_"

Mugi didn't know if there was a knowing tone in Sawako's voice, but she did determine that there was at least sincerity in her words.

"Alright _sensei_… Sorry to bother you so late, but I'm glad that you're coming along. I'm also bringing a few friends along from the dorm. Good night," said Mugi as Sawako bid her the same and dropped the connection.

Mugi had also invited Sei along, out of courtesy. Over the past month, she had contacted Mugi albeit not showing any indication that she had kissed her all of a sudden that day weeks ago. They easily returned to their normal routine of conversation but it was only Yumi and the others that really noticed how affected Mugi was due to the mysterious event that had transpired on that day. Things were easier to hide over a phone line since they lacked body language and physical contact.

With all those thoughts swirling through her head, Mugi went to sleep, setting her phone to ring in four and a half hours to wake her up.

x~~*~~x

Tainaka Ritsu had just finished packing when the clock struck midnight. She wasn't worried that she wouldn't wake up; Mio would just wake her up for her in any case, probably by calling her cellphone until she woke up from the incessant ringing.

Smiling grimly, she turned to her desk and picked up a small, thin steno notebook where she had written down ideas that she wanted to try out during the training camp.

During the past month, after their visit to Dr. Aozaki, the two had grown a tad bit closer to each other, if that was even possible. Closer in the sense that neither minded coming into physical contact with the other, and even Mio sometimes felt comfortable just holding Ritsu's hand, not really caring what other people would make of it. True, there were a few whispers, but nothing major so far. Even so, there was nothing that would back up what they were insinuating anyway.

Nothing at the moment, that is, and again Ritsu picked the notebook up and began to hurriedly flip through it, gazing down at her own haphazard handwriting. She had written about random situations that she would possibly encounter on this training camp so that she could further advance her relationship with the bassist.

_Compliment her hair._

_Compliment her swimsuit._

_Compliment her bass skills; make sure that you emphasize how good she is after a long layoff from practicing with the club. (one month approx.)_

_Ask for more advice from Mugi._

_Try scaring her and then maybe hug her afterwards if she doesn't appear to reject it._

_Test of courage?_

_Take a walk with her along the beach at night._

These were just a few things Ritsu thought of, but the main principle was what Touko had told her one month ago.

_Subtlety is your best friend._

She sent Mio an email requesting that she call her to make sure she wakes up, bidding her good night in the process.

"I'm no good at being subtle," drawled Ritsu as she turned off the lights and plopped down on the bed. "But I'm damn persistent."

x~~*~~x

"Yui-_senpai_, are you still awake?" came the soft voice of Nakano Azusa between the sheets on Yui's bed in her apartment.

"Yeah," came the whispered reply of Yui, who gently pat Azusa's back with her left hand, facing the _kouhai's_ back temporarily.

Azusa decided to sleep over at Yui's house that night so as to make sure that she wouldn't be late for the meet-up at the train station at four in the morning. She had asked permission from her parents and again, they had obliged. It was the first time Azusa had slept in Yui's apartment since last month, and she felt that it couldn't have come at a better time.

The bullying had hit an all time high this past week; they probably wanted their message to be felt by Azusa before Sakura High School ended classes for summer vacation. As it was, she was horrified that someone had indeed crossed the line; she had found her indoor shoe soles peppered with thumbtacks earlier this morning, and she had found out the hard way.

It was Ui who had helped her to the infirmary after she had seen Azusa walk to the classroom barefoot, blood trailing on the floor in her wake. The nurse had looked at Azusa's feet and her soles had multiple small punctures, none too deep but just enough to draw blood. Not all of the tacks had pierced the soles of the shoes but quite a few did, thus the resulting wounds.

Yui had taken one look at Azusa's feet when she had arrived earlier that evening, only to feel her blood boil at the people who had done this to her Azusa. She had immediately prepared warm water for Azusa to soak her feet in to soothe the prickling pain.

"Those motherfuckers are going to regret doing this to you," Yui whispered through the sheets. Azusa was completely taken back at how crass the words coming out of Yui's mouth were. It was the first time Azusa heard Yui swear. No doubt the brunette was unbelievably _pissed off_ at what she had gone through. Inwardly, Azusa felt happy that Yui was worrying so much about her, though it came at the cost of pain in her feet.

The raven-haired guitarist turned towards Yui and felt the brunette's left arm go across her back in a light hug.

"Those ungrateful bastards are going to get their bad karma someday. Like, when they're going to buy strawberry shortcake for their little brother who'll die unless he's fed strawberry shortcake, they go to the bakeshop and find out that you had bought the last slice of cake," said Yui seriously, rubbing Azusa's back with the intention of comforting her.

"_I know that Azu-nyan has a lot on her plate right now, but it's precisely that that makes me just want to flat-out tell her how much I love her,_" thought Yui. "_Or perhaps I should continue to wait and see…?_"

Azusa chuckled at Yui's analogy and whispered, "That's so just like you, Yui-_senpai_. Hirasawa Yui branded humor."

Azusa took a deep breath and said, "I've said it so many times before, but it bears saying again: Yui-_senpai_, thanks for everything."

She nuzzled in Yui's neck and Yui felt pleasure creeping through her body; her Azu-nyan was nuzzling her like a real cat! Feeling brave, she gently nipped Azusa's ear with her lips and whispered softly.

"I guess I'm a good _senpai_ now, huh."

Azusa giggled and replied in a quiet tone that resonated sincerity and closeness.

"You always were a good _senpai_ to me."

They looked into each other's eyes and smiled. Their arms wrapped around each other, nothing more was said between the two guitarists as the drifted off to sleep, the training camp they would be having in mere hours bolstering their confidence in themselves to pursue their happiness.

x~~*~~x

_Kuroi Nanako/Sawako is homage to the fanfic __**Lucky Stars and Gitahs.**_

_Sei's actions can be interpreted in many ways, I think. I wonder what exactly you guys are thinking right now about that._

_Apparently, in canon, the four girls all went to the same university. I honestly thought Mugi was separated from the other three, hence it giving me the kickstart to this fanfic. I was corrected recently, and just attribute shipping Mugi off to Lillian University as creative license._

_In any case, please continue to read and review; hesitate not to indicate constructive criticism! Even if it's just to say something nice, please do so. Seeing reviews makes me happy and further motivates me to write. :p_

_Also, this is, I believe, the first chapter where Mio does not make an appearance at all._


	12. Première partiè: Natsu no Hibi

_I have a minor announcement to make. I fucked up a minor part of the story regarding Suzuki Jun. I had completely forgotten she was a jazz bassist in canon (which should really be glaringly obvious because Mio's her idol), and instead mistakenly gave her the keyboard as an instrument._

_So… I Orwellian retconned Jun being a keyboardist and changed her back into being a bassist for the sake of canon. You'll notice that Ui's talent with the keyboard is brought up, so basically she can play two instruments for "Okawari". You'll notice the change in minor details about the instruments they play in chapters 3, 4, and 7._

_Again, I deeply apologize for fucking this detail up; many thanks to __**11133322 **__once again for giving me advice on how I could've handled it._

_That said, here's the beginning of the training camp story arc. I hope you all enjoy it!_

x~~*~~x

**Première partiè: Natsu no Hibi**

Tsumugi looked at the wristwatch on her left arm. The hands pointed to four and three, and thus meant that they had fifteen minutes before the appointed time. Klaus was driving as fast as he could without compromising their safety, and it was had that the limousine contained the luggage of the five girls.

The only person awake was Mugi; Yumi was sleeping soundly, her head slightly lolling around before it had come to rest on Sei's shoulder. She had her arm wrapped around Yumi's chest and the latter didn't seem to mind; it was as though it was a usual thing between them. Yoshino was snoozing on the other side of the seat, her head leaning on the bulletproof glass windows of the limousine. Beside Mugi on the seat was Shimako, her eyes closed and her hands clasped together giving her a gentle aura; it was as though she was praying to Maria-sama. Of course, Mugi remembered that Shimako was a Buddhist and thus relinquished that mental image.

When they had first left the dorm, Mugi, with a feeling of trepidation, decided to drop the bomb and inform them that today, July second was her nineteenth birthday. The four girls excluding Sei all reacted with open surprise and shock.

"Why didn't you tell us, Mugi-san?" demanded Yoshino, whose face appeared to be a mixture of surprise, disappointment, and irritation.

Shimako and Yumi nodded balefully in agreement. "Why didn't you tell us?" echoed Yumi, her face showing a look of hurt. "It's like you've been feeling distant again…"

She glanced momentarily at Sei, seated beside her, and the woman in question pretended not to notice this, simply leaning comfortably on the leather upholstery, taking a can of beer out of the small fridge in the limousine. Mugi had asked Klaus to prepare the drinks earlier for her friends, and she decided to include two cans of alcohol for Sei.

"I'm really sorry everyone, but you see, I really intended to have the training camp fall on the same date as my birthday because I really wanted to bring you along so you guys could enjoy yourselves," said Mugi softly, gazing at the moon roof of the vehicle. "Had you known that it was my birthday today, I'm sure you would've planned something for me, most probably headed by Yoshino-san, right?"

Yoshino agreed grudgingly and Mugi continued. "Had that happened, your plans would've all been ruined had I invited you to come along, because this is basically my treat. Our training camps used to be just the five of us, but I insisted that you guys come along too. I hope that is enough to prove that I care about you…"

"Mugi-chan," whispered Yumi softly as Sei looked on with a smirk. "In that case, happy birthday; I hope we won't be too much trouble."

She bowed and Shimako followed, repeating the same words and corresponding action. Surprisingly, even Yoshino and Sei bowed and extended the same words to her.

"I'll try to tone things down," said Sei cheerfully.

Mugi gave her an awkward smile and said, "You'll get along just fine with Ricchan, our drummer. Plus, you'll get to meet Catherine."

Sei gave her a thumbs up and Yumi asked, "Who is this Catherine?"

Mugi's cheeks turned pinkish and she replied.

"It's Sawako-_sensei_."

"Ohhhhh," was all that Yumi could say. "Catherine was her stage name when she used to play for an indie metal band years ago, a band called DEATH DEVIL," explained Sei, downing the rest of her beer the way Katsuragi Misato would. "She was the lead guitarist and vocalist."

"Her wild side is quite amusing to watch too," quipped the blonde, recalling the night they were drafted by Norimi to play DEATH DEVIL's songs for one of their former member's wedding, only to have Sawako take over and bring the house down with her skills from the past. "She can even play her guitar with her teeth like Jimi Hendrix!"

Her eyes seemed to be glittering and drops of sweat cascaded down the faces of Yumi and Yoshino. Soon enough, they all bade each other good night, and they went to sleep some more in the limousine and entrusted their safety to Klaus.

x~~*~~x

"Tsumugi-ojou-sama, we have arrived at the train station," said Klaus.

Mugi glanced at her wristwatch again and noted that the time was four-forty in the morn. Only ten minutes late. Knowing Houkago Tea Time, she had enough time to spare despite being ten minutes late with respect to the appointed time.

"Yumi-san, Sei-san, Shimako-san, Yoshino-san, we're here," Mugi said, lightly shaking the four awake. Taking a small bottle from her purse, she took a swig of the espresso she had prepared beforehand, feeling the caffeine give her body a boost in energy.

The four stirred slowly and groggily, before stepping out of the vehicle, with Klaus distributing their luggage to their respective owners, as per Mugi's request.

"Tsumugi-ojou-sama, I shall wait here until your group is complete, then we can load the instruments. I will be taking a path parallel to the train, though I must apologize as I will probably arrive around two hours later than your group by my best estimate," said Klaus, bowing in apology.

"Oh, that's no problem at all, Klaus-san," said Mugi with a smile on her face, as she directed the four girls to where the toilet was, since they all said that they needed to go. "I'll leave our instruments with you, so please feel free to drive leisurely. I'm sure we'll all have fun at the beach before we do actually practice, anyway."

Klaus bowed and double checked that Mugi's Korg was safely tucked in the trunk in its protective case. He smiled when Mugi had left, headed towards the bathroom, while he watched over their luggage. Getting his release from the Sanzenin household was the best idea ever, because ever since that young butler had moved in, his talents were no longer needed and with Nagi and Maria's blessing, he had left, seeking employment with the Kotobuki family.

Getting into the limousine's driver's seat, he leaned back without letting his gaze leave the luggage of the girls until they had come to pick them up, upon which he leisurely took a nap, reveling in how good life was for him.

x~~*~~x

"This way to the platform, everyone!" said Mugi, pointing in the right direction while the other four girls followed in her wake.

Each of them were bringing their own luggage. Yumi brought along a large hiking backpack, saying that it belong to her brother Yuuki. Yoshino brought a large sports bag along while Shimako had two bags that appeared to be large shopping bags. Sei had the same duffel bag she had on that fateful day along with a large sports bag. Mugi of course had her large suitcase.

When they had arrived at the platform, it was completely deserted; people aren't usually up this early, more so because it was the first day of summer vacation in the prefecture.

"Sei-san, I forgot to ask you back then, but what was in your bag on the day we, uh, went out?" asked Mugi out of earshot from the others after beckoning Sei to come to her.

"Oh, you mean this?" she replied, raising the duffel bag.

Mugi nodded and Sei chuckled in reply.

"These were old DEATH DEVIL posters I was planning on having framed. It totally slipped my mind on that day."

She opened the bag and showed its contents to the keyboardist. Inside were numerous posters all neatly rolled up and bundled together. "I decided to bring them so I could have your _sensei_ autograph them for me, heh." Sei chuckled and put an arm around her head.

In due course, the group of five made it to the platform and immediately, Mugi spotted a raven-haired girl sitting on a chair facing away from them.

"Mio-chan!" called Mugi.

The girl in the chair stiffened and nearly jumped, her cheeks flushed red when the group of five finally approached her… and noticed the person lying down on her lap, sleeping soundly.

It was Ritsu, and to Mugi's immense surprise, her headband wasn't on her head; instead it was discarded, lying on top of the case containing Elizabeth, Mio's Fender Jazz Bass.

"H-Hi, Mugi," said Mio nervously, twiddling her index fingers towards each other. "T-This _baka_ just needed some rest; I was practically dragging her over here along with her drums when we walked over here. Yeah, that's right, this _baka_ didn't even go to bed early because she said that she was planning something… _b-baka_ Ritsu…"

Immediately, Yoshino and Shimako's eyebrows raised as their thoughts coherently came together at the exact same time, with Sei just smirking as though it was something that could be seen from a mile away.

_Mio-san definitely likes Ritsu-san._

Mugi, swift as lightning, pulled out a pack of tissues from her purse and plugged her nostrils with tissue before she could lose any more blood. Surprisingly, her speech was completely unaffected by this. Such was the power of Kotobuki Tsumugi and her trademarked yuri goggles™.

"Good morning Mio-chan," said Mugi. "I'd like to introduce you to my friends. This is Yumi-san, Shimako-san, Yoshino-san, and S-Sei-san."

She gestured to the four girls in quick succession; Yumi and Shimako bowed, Yoshino flashed a "V" and Sei just winked at Mio.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Akiyama Mio and I'm Houkago Tea Time's bassist. This _baka_ sleeping over here is Tainaka Ritsu, our drummer," said Mio casually; trying to deflect attention away from the fact that she was giving a lap pillow to Ritsu. "Oh right, happy birthday Mugi! Here's a present from me and Ritsu."

She handed over a long, thin package about a foot and a third long. "Can I open it, Mio-chan?"

The bassist nodded and Mugi devoured the brown paper, tearing it to shreds while the twilight wind blew the shreds away across the tracks into the distance. The package was a backscratcher made out of dark-brown wood.

"That's a teak backscratcher," said Mio. "It was actually Ritsu's idea, and for once I actually agreed with her; you're the type to like these knick-knacks, Mugi. Happy birthday once again."

Mugi hugged Mio while Yoshino, Yumi, and Sei walked to a nearby bench and sat down, setting their luggage on the floor beside them. Shimako remained as though she wanted to talk to Mio, and after a while, she did, after Mugi had egged her on subtly to do so.

Shimako and Mio immediately got off to a good start, mostly brought together by their mutual experiences in restraining their rowdy friends, Yoshino and Sei and Ritsu respectively. Yoshino sat with Yumi as they observed the two interacting animatedly, with Ritsu still sleeping on Mio's lap, oblivious to everything that was happening around them.

"Looks like Shimako-san's found a kindred soul in Mio-san," commented Yoshino, her fist propping her chin up in an imitation of The Thinker.

"Sei-san, it's been a while since we last saw each other," began Yumi, turning towards the woman on the other side of the back-to-back seats in the station. "Please, tell us what happened between you and Mugi-chan on that day. She's been really… off, ever since that day."

Sei looked over lazily and smirked, taking a pack of potato chips out of her sports bag. "Just as planned," she said in reply, opening the chip bag and dramatically consuming a few chips.

Even Yoshino had to facepalm at the obligatory Death Note parody, and she sighed. "Sei-sama, please take us seriously; Mugi-san appears to be really troubled by this," urged Yoshino in one of her rare moments of seriousness.

Mugi stood up along with Mio, who had finally woken Ritsu to greet two people who had entered the platform, a short-haired brunette and a twin-tailed raven-haired girl, both with guitar cases across their back. In their wake followed a short-haired ponytailed brunette, who was the spitting image of the first brunette, another brunette, this time her hair was arranged like a pair of _dango_, and both of them had guitar cases across their backs. Lastly, a boy with short, unruly hair followed in their wake and his physical distance from the ponytailed brunette was fluctuating in an awkward fashion.

"Hey Yui-chan, Azusa-chan," greeted Mugi as the two guitarists greeted in kind. "Mio-chan, Ricchan, good morning!" exclaimed Yui, giving the groggy drummer a hug.

"Y-Yui… what the—?" said Ritsu before she was cut-off midsentence by Yui squeezing her midsection. "Are you trying to kill me? Cut that out!"

The brunette relented and giggled awkwardly. "I didn't think you'd look great without your headband, Ricchan."

Ritsu paused and finally noticed that her bangs were strewn freely across her face, obscuring her forehead. "I, uh…" she trailed off into silence, dashing back to Mio's bass case and grabbing her headband, hastily putting it on her head. "Mio, why'd you take my headband off?"

At those words, the bassist froze and felt really minute compared to everyone around her, who seemed to be staring intently, waiting for her response. "I, uh, that's because I didn't, uh… Oh right! It's because I didn't want to see your ridiculously large forehead while you slept!"

"Ridiculously large forehead?" seethed the drummer. "You'll pay for that crack, Akiyama Mio-san!""

While the two chased each other comically around a few chairs, an empty train passed by without stopping at the station. Yui and Azusa looked at each other and nodded, extricating a package from Azusa's luggage and giving it to Mugi.

"Happy birthday Mugi-chan!" said Yui. "This is your gift from me and Azu-nyan. Homemade _taiyaki!_"

"Happy birthday, Mugi-_senpai_," echoed Azusa as Mugi opened the brown paper bag and took a _taiyaki _out. It was still steaming hot, and she took a bite and moaned in happiness.

"The warmth is perfect for a cool summer morning like this. Thanks, Yui-chan, Azusa-chan," said Mugi, as the two guitarists deposited their luggage along Mio's and Ritsu's. "By the way, Nodoka-chan sends you her greetings. Studying at Tokyo University's pretty hard, from what she's been telling me," said Yui.

"That's true," replied Mugi. She then momentarily recalled the train that had passed by earlier.

"Hey Ui-chan, why didn't the train stop for us?" asked Mugi.

While Jun sat on the bench and deposited her bass beside Mio's, Ui set down her own guitar beside Ritsu's drum set and put on a look of contemplation.

"Well, Tsumugi-_senpai_, I can only say that this is a guess, but I think that the train over there is going to head for the nearest track branch and it'll be headed towards a depot, where workmen can perform maintenance on it," replied Ui as she glanced at Satoshi, who was staying consciously away from her. "Satoshi-kun, relax… It's just me, after all."

Mugi could've sworn there was a knowing look in Ui's eyes when she made that statement and her thoughts took a different-than-usual-even-if-it-isn't-that-different train of thought when Satoshi obliged and moved nearer to Ui, more so when the younger Hirasawa rubbed Satoshi's shoulder in what appeared to be a fond way.

"Fascinating idea, Ui-chan. That probably explains why I've seen a set path of train tracks that seems to lead to nowhere. It must be the depot you're talking about," replied Mugi, keeping tabs on all the split up groups at the moment: Yui, Mio, Azusa, Ritsu and Shimako for one group, Sei, Yumi and Yoshino for another, and herself along with Ui, Satoshi and Jun.

Mugi was pleased to note that Shimako seemed to be blending in well after she had been befriended by Mio, and Yoshino finally strode over to them leaving Yumi and Sei alone on another bench after she heard her name being mentioned. Mugi noticed that Yumi looked a bit down and this worried her, so she left the snoozing Jun and Ui and Satoshi, who were now chatting animatedly when they noticed that no one was paying any attention to them and headed over to Sei and Yumi.

"Yumi-san, what's wrong?" asked the keyboardist as she approached the pigtailed brunette who was hunched over, staring at the floor. Yumi nearly jumped and just glanced over at Sei, who was munching the last of her potato chips.

"Sei-san, what did you do to upset Yumi-san?" asked Mugi in a voice that was a mixture of sounding gentle and stern; she felt that she could take this stance with someone older than her because of the… special circumstances surrounding them.

"She was probing about what happened on our last date and I didn't want to tell her. I said that I would only if you consent to it," replied Sei airily.

"Oh, go ahead and tell her Sei-san," replied Mugi after some deliberation; she felt that she owed Yumi especially one after not telling her about her own birthday. "I'll go organize the transportation of instruments now; I'll be back shortly."

While Sei and Yumi began to converse in low voices, Mugi went back to everyone else and asked Ui to wake Jun up, noting that Ritsu and Yoshino were getting along really well in teasing Mio, while Shimako looked on, amused. Yui and Azusa were off in their own world, discussing speed picking techniques with each other.

"Everyone with instruments, follow me!" called Mugi as another train passed, this time stopping for passengers. "We'll have to let this train go for the time being, because we need to bring all the instruments to Klaus and the limousine outside. Mio-chan, hand me Elizabeth, so you can help Ricchan carry the drums. Yui-chan, Azusa-chan, Jun-chan, Ui-chan, follow me please."

Everyone who was called followed her, while Yoshino, Shimako, Sei, and Yumi remained on the platform, watching over everyone's luggage. Mugi was pleased to note that, despite not being addressed by herself or Ritsu, Satoshi tagged along behind Ui and Azusa.

"My radar is picking up something out of the norm," whispered the ojou to herself as she led everyone off the platform towards Klaus, who was waiting by the corner of the station behind a large tree so that the limousine wouldn't draw any attention.

When they had reached the limousine, they were on their way back to the platform when Mugi glanced at her watch. Ten past five in the morning, forty minutes past the agreed upon time and the first passenger-carrying train had already come and gone a few minutes ago. She was feeling nervous, but she heard a voice that completely eroded her nervousness.

"Mugi-chan, everyone! Sorry for the wait!" called a voice that belonged to a glasses-wearing teacher who had a visor on her head and a sports bag slung across her shoulder.

x~~*~~x

The train was completely devoid of other people; this train was headed away from the urban areas of Shiga and headed towards the sea as it traveled westward, away from Tokyo. As the sun rose from its slumber, the group was mostly asleep, save for Mugi, Shimako, Yumi, Ui, Satoshi, Mio, and Azusa.

Yumi was mostly thinking about what she had heard from Sei earlier. She nearly screamed when Sei told her that she had kissed the blonde, and before she could lash out in anger at her _senpai_, Sei cut in and explained her intentions to Yumi. Yumi only replied with a clipped tone.

"Plausible that may be, but I can't trust you, Sei-sama. Not so easily."

Azusa glanced at Ui and Satoshi out of the corner of her eye while Mugi and Mio were talking about the latest fashion. Like Mugi, she noticed something subtly change between those two, but she couldn't confirm nor deny it for herself. All she knew was that Jun and Satoshi had slept over at the Hirasawa household to make the commute to the station much more organized. Since she was with Yui over at the apartment, she had no idea of what might have possibly gone down over at the Hirasawa residence. One thought entered her mind but then she immediately blushed and slapped herself.

"_Ui and Satoshi doing this and that… No way!_"

"What is it, Azusa-chan?" asked Mugi, who noticed the _kouhai's_ strange actions. Mio had noticed too and looked on in concern.

"I, uh…," began Azusa. She looked over at Ui and Satoshi who sat in the row behind herself and Yui, talking about baseball, and she lowered her voice conspirationally and whispered.

"Mugi-_senpai_, do you think anything is going on between Ui and Satoshi?"

Mugi chuckled and replied, while Azusa felt Yui adjust her position on Azusa's shoulder while she slept, drool cascading down her chin.

"I got that feeling too; they actually look really cute together," replied Mugi.

"Finally, someone who isn't a les—" began Mio before she caught herself and clapped her hands over her mouth, blushing in embarrassment. Azusa blushed too and Mugi just giggled once more, enveloping the two raven-haired girls in a hug, crossing over Ritsu who was seated between herself and Mio.

"I missed you guys a lot," said Mugi. "A lot of things happened which is why I haven't gone over in the past month…"

"Things like what, Mugi-_senpai?_" asked Azusa as she wiped the drool off of Yui's face with a tissue. "Ick, Yui-_senpai's_ always like this when she sleeps," said Azusa absentmindedly, not realizing the implications of her statement.

Mugi fell silent and both Mio and Azusa decided not to prod any further. "We should go get some rest. You too Mugi, you must be tired from organizing all this on your birthday, no less," said Mio. Azusa nodded and they both closed their eyes, falling asleep almost immediately. As she was in the aisle seat, Mugi had a clear view of Sawako, who was across the aisle in the row in front of her, seated beside Jun who was snoring loudly. She was also sleeping, her ample chest made much more obvious by the tight-fitting t-shirt she was wearing bobbing along with the rhythm of her breathing and Mugi felt a ripple of sadness go through her as she glanced behind her and saw Yumi staring off into space, Sei and Yoshino on either side of her sleeping, while Shimako was off by herself directly in front of her across the aisle from Sawako, reading a book.

She had seen Mio give Ritsu a lap pillow, Azusa casually mention Yui's regular mannerisms when asleep, and now the possibility of Ui and Satoshi being together felt like pouring salt onto her wounds. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to get away from Sei, cursing herself for inviting her to the training camp. She rationalized it though; this was something expected of someone who was brought up in the Kotobuki family. Cast away your feelings for business dealings that are advantageous to you, cast away your feelings in favor of courtesy.

"_Courtesy hurts,_" thought Mugi blithely as she noticed that only Shimako and herself were still awake; Yumi had fallen asleep after zoning out, and she noticed that Ui and Satoshi were now asleep, their heads propped against each other.

It was the intertwined fingers between the two of them that sealed the deal. Tears began to cascade down her face as she willed herself to fall asleep, trying to shake off her emotions that were causing turbulence on this supposedly perfect training camp. She further recalled the plans that she helped Ritsu with for this training camp; the test of courage that was going to be conducted later in the evening past midnight.

"_How come everyone except me gets to be with their special someone?_" she thought sadly.

What the blonde didn't know was that this training camp would be more eventful than she had envisioned.

x~~*~~x

When they had arrived at the station of interest, another vehicle was there waiting for them. Instead of a limousine, however, it was a Hyundai Starex, a roomy van that was sold mainly in Indonesia and the Philippines. The driver rolled down the passenger side window and waved at them as the group of thirteen approached. It was a male brunette wearing sunglasses, his hand across his moustache as though he was in deep thought.

"Hello Yuuichi-san!" called out Mugi as she decided to put her feelings to rest for the time being. She had decided that she would try her best to keep herself in check, though she was unable to keep herself from avoiding Sei. Indeed, on the way off the platform, she had decided to walk beside Azusa and Yui while Sei chatted with Yoshino on the other end of the group. Thankfully, no one had noticed this, and the man disembarked from the van, helping the girls load their luggage into the van, placing the sports bags on the felt mat that shielded the passengers from the heat of the metallic chassis that was situated above the engine.

Mugi got in front and took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Sawako-_sensei_, over here beside me in front?"

Sawako smiled radiantly and nodded, obliging Mugi, her sports bag placed comfortably behind her feet on the floor. Mugi's suitcase had to be placed at the very rear of the vehicle, where Ritsu, Yui, Azusa and Mio were seated. The second row of seats from the back showcased Ui, Satoshi and Jun, while the front row of the passenger area had Shimako, Yumi, Sei and Yoshino. Their bags all in order, Yuuichi got into the van and drove off towards the third largest Kotobuki villa situated along a private beach front.

"Mugi-chan, who's this Yuuichi-san?" asked Sawako in inquiry, gesturing to her left towards their driver, who tipped his sunglasses downward and smiled.

"Yuuichi-san is a part-timer for us; he's normally stationed in Okinawa and he's got some contacts in the military underworld," replied Mugi nonchalantly.

"That explains why we've got an M4A1 semiauto carbine in the van," said Sawako ruefully, gesturing towards the rifle that was on the floor beside Yuuichi's legs.

"So _sensei_, how have you been lately? We haven't been messaging each other much, and I wasn't able to talk to you much on the train since you were sleeping…," said Mugi somewhat nervously.

Oblivious to Mugi's nervousness, Sawako replied, a frown creasing her face.

"It's been hell. Mio's rabid fans are still not quitting, despite the fact that some of their saner members are trying to restrain them. Reports have already been filed by Ui, but the culprits are nearly impossible to pinpoint since there's so many of them, and the disciplinary committee doesn't have the manpower to investigate every single fucking alibi they have. At some point, I think Mio herself will have to be involved for this crap to quit. Really, they're being pathetic; odds are they're just envious of Azusa-chan's skills."

"Azusa-chan seems to be okay though…," said Mugi uncertainly. "I'd attribute that to Yui-chan. They've been seeing each other pretty often, from what I can tell."

Mugi chose her words carefully, and decided to push things a bit. "Frankly, I'm envious. I wish I could have someone to go to when I have problems like that…"

Sawako smiled reassuringly and felt a faint urge from deep within her heart. For what she believed was the greater good, she resisted the faint urge and said, "Don't worry Mugi-chan, that someone will come along eventually, I'm sure."

Mugi nodded, feeling a slight twinge of disappointment. "By the way, I wasn't able to introduce my new friends since we were in such a hurry earlier. This is Shimako-san," she gestured to the curly-haired brunette by the window, who smiled and nodded her head in respect as a reply.

"This is Yumi-san, my roommate," said Mugi, gesturing towards the pigtailed brunette, who bowed in reply.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Sawako-san; Mugi-chan has told me so much about you," said Yumi cheerfully.

Sawako nodded, thinking all of a sudden: _What would Mugi be telling her friends about me, I wonder?_

"And this is Sei-san. She's a big fan of yours from your DEATH DEVIL days, _sensei_," said Mugi, gesturing towards the woman with cropped short hair.

"It's an honor to meet you, Catherine, in more ways than one," said Sei, giving her a thumbs up. "I've got some of your old promotional posters; I'd be honored if you'd sign them for me."

"No problem, Sei-san," said Sawako. "_I wonder what she meant by 'more ways than one' though…_"

"Lastly, this is Yoshino-san. She's quite a lot like Ricchan," said Mugi.

"Pleased to meet you, Sawako-_sensei_," replied Yoshino, nodding respectfully.

"Mugi… I thought she was like Ricchan, so why the hell is she so polite?" asked Sawako.

"That's because everyone from Lillian Girl's Academy is polite, _sensei_. She's not as rowdy as Ricchan, though she is a whole lot more stubborn, I'd say."

"Now that's a force to be reckoned with," said Sawako with a knowing look in her eyes. "Pleased to meet you all as well; my name is Yamanaka Sawako and I was Houkago Tea Time's advisor back in their high school days. I take it Mugi-chan here told you about Houkago Tea Time?"

The four girls nodded and Sawako added, "Sei-san, if I sign those posters, you had better not **fucking** sell them. You're not supposed to do that to my signed shit, kapiche?"

"…you're freaking awesome, Catherine," said Sei in awe of Sawako's relapse into the lead vocalist and guitarist of DEATH DEVIL.

"I know," replied the bespectacled teacher, smirking. Beside Mugi, Yuuichi took out a two-way radio and pressed the talk button. "Klaus, ETA?"

A voice laced with crackling static replied, "ETA three hours. Your position?"

"A minute away from the villa," replied Yuuichi into the radio.

"Roger," came the crackling voice of Klaus and the radio fell silent. "Well there you have it; your instruments are still three hours away. Might I recommend enjoying the beach for the time being? The villa's already stocked up according to your specifications, Tsumugi-san."

Mugi nodded, "Thank you very much. Everyone, we've arrived!"

"Oh yeah, the beach! Awesome!" cried Ritsu in enjoyment, while Yui seconded the motion. "_Osu!_"

Azusa and Mio just sighed, resigning themselves to dealing with their respective charges. "By the way, Azusa-chan," called Mugi from the front seat. "I prepared a special sunblock for you so you don't get tanned like the usual. Its SPF is a whopping 80."

"T-Thank you very much, Mugi-_senpai!_" cried Azusa in relief; she was really afraid of getting tanned again, as she'd be the butt of all the 'who are you?' jokes once more.

Yuuichi deftly parked the Starex in front of the villa, which indeed, appeared to be around two-and-a-half times as large as the villa they used last time. Everyone looked on in awe, while maids began streaming from the front door as they disembarked, their luggage being taken by the maids.

"Yes yes, Chiharu-san, the second floor… Misa-chan, are the meals ready? Great, thank you very much. Motoka-san, the swimsuits are all ready? Wonderful! Ah, the cake already arrived from our bakers? Good work, Yoriko-san. Everyone, good work!" bellowed Mugi happily, her maids performing up to par regarding everyone's accommodations and luggage.

"What did you mean by swimsuits, Mugi?" asked Mio. "Don't tell me you have—"

"—a large room containing nothing but swimsuits," finished Mio lamely as she, along with the others, stepped into a large room that was exactly as she described, although there were curtains set up for modesty.

"Yes, Mio-chan. Everyone, go ahead and take your pick!" said Mugi, while the group happily began to choose from the wide array of swimsuits the room had to offer. "I can always show you around the villa later. For now, it's time to have fun at the beach! Klaus won't be here for a few more hours so we have a lot of time to enjoy ourselves before practicing."

Mio was being pushed by Ritsu into wearing a white-and-black polka dotted drawstring two-piece that perfectly accentuated her ample breasts, showing more creamy white cleavage than she was comfortable with. Azusa had already selected hers, a modest pink one-piece with frills at the lower end, Mio picked a midnight blue two-piece that didn't show as much cleavage as the polka dotted one Ritsu was forcing onto her. Ritsu picked a simple yellow two-piece, Yui picked an aqua two-piece, while Sawako was wearing a flaming orange bikini interspersed with red flowers, along with a matching sheet that she tied around her waist.

Yumi picked a red one-piece, while Yoshino wore a black one-piece. Sei went the extra mile and wore board shorts over her cobalt-blue bikini, and Shimako picked a white two-piece that hugged her hidden curves pretty well. Ui picked a green one-piece, while Jun went for a brown two-piece. Seeing that everyone had taken their pick, Mugi left the large room and went to the kitchen, looking for one of her maids. Along the way, she had encountered Satoshi, who had changed into a simple pair of black shorts in a nearby toilet, directing him towards the room where everyone else was at and she finally found the person she had been looking for.

"Chiharu-san! I need to make some adjustments to the lodging arrangements," said Mugi to a light-brown-haired bespectacled maid. "I've decided that everyone should sleep in one large room, though we'll have to discuss where Satoshi-kun is going to stay later. Please relocate everyone's luggage, including my own, to the game room. Please set out six mattresses as well, along with twelve pillows."

"I will see to it that it is done, Tsumugi-ojou-sama," replied Chiharu, bowing. "Misa-chan, Yoriko-san, Motoka-san, and Ilfa-san!" called Chiharu towards the kitchen. "Change in orders from Tsumugi-ojou-sama!"

Soon enough, a blonde, two brunettes and a blue-haired maid exited the kitchens and followed Chiharu as they proceeded upstairs.

Mugi smiled in satisfaction and headed back towards the changing room, where she found everyone waiting for her, even Satoshi.

She noted how stunning Sawako looked in her brightly colored swimsuit, and she said,

"Everyone, feel free to go ahead to the beachfront and play! There's even a jet ski all set up; feel free to use it but you must be with Yuuichi-san, alright? Try to be careful and have fun. I'll go change and catch up."

Without saying anything else, she entered the room and closed the door behind her, sifting through numerous racks of swimsuits until she found the one she wanted to wear. It was a periwinkle colored bikini that complimented her creamy-white skin very well. Satisfied with her choice, she was about to exit the room when she heard a voice.

"You look great, Mugi-chan."

It was Sei; Mugi didn't notice her enter because she was far too engrossed in finding the perfect swimsuit. Gulping, she just nodded curtly at Sei and left the room without saying anything.

Sei just stood there, nonplussed. "Seems like she's avoiding me now… Well, this could be a good thing…," she whispered to herself.

But if it was a good thing, then why did she feel sad inside?

x~~*~~x

They didn't fool around and enjoy themselves on the beach for the next three hours. They ended up spending the entire morning playing on the beach, even taking the jet ski for a spin under Yuuichi's supervision. Ritsu and Sei had taken to driving it pretty well, while Mio didn't even want to try riding it. Everyone else was content with letting Yuuichi do the driving while they clung onto his back for dear life. Yui hadn't felt anything that exhilarating in her entire life and she was all smiles and her eyes were practically glittering when she recounted the feeling to Azusa, Ui and Yumi, who were listening with great interest. Ritsu and Yoshino were building a huge sand castle themed after Castelgard in the Dordogne in France of medieval origin. Mio was sitting beside Shimako under an umbrella, talking about a new mythology series authored by Rick Riordan. Jun and Satoshi were tanning themselves under the sun, while Mugi decided to distract herself by supervising the sumptuous lunch she had tasked her maids to prepare for them in celebration of her nineteenth birthday.

While everyone was enjoying themselves, the two oldest women were lying prone on a mat spread over the sand under a beach umbrella, not too far off from Mio and Shimako who were now talking about Michael Crichton's book that underwent posthumous publication.

Sawako and Sei were silently resting; Sei had asked Sawako if it was alright that she join her and the latter had obliged, although no words were said between the two of them.

"I'll go get myself some juice; I'll be right back," said Sawako as Sei made no move to acknowledge her leaving. Headed towards the kitchens to pour herself a glass, she noticed the hustle and bustle going on and sensed that lunch was going to be a major production; Mugi had decided that they have lunch at around two in the afternoon so that they could have it outside by the porch where the heat wouldn't be so searing at that time.

Sidling into the kitchen, she asked the nearest maid, a blonde one named Motoka where she could find some cold juice. Instead of answering her, Motoka left and quickly arrived with a tumbler containing ice-cold orange juice with a bendy straw. "I hope you are satisfied, Yamanaka-san," said Motoka as she bowed and went back to preparing the marinade for the chicken.

Sipping her cool drink, Sawako decided to pass through the garage where the band's instruments had been deposited by Klaus, since they had decided to hold practice in the huge garage where acoustics was optimal. She heard a faint sound coming from the garage and when she opened the door, she saw Mugi, standing by her Korg, playing the piano arrangement of _Honey Sweet Tea Time_. Somehow, the _sensei_ felt that something was off about Mugi's body language as she played the piece.

"Hey Mugi, why don't you join everyone else at the beach?" asked Sawako. The playing stopped, and Mugi turned to face Sawako, who was surprised by what she saw.

Tears were cascading down the blonde's face, and she immediately approached Mugi out of concern. "What's wrong, Mugi? You can tell your Sawako-_sensei_ anything if it's bothering you."

Right then and there, Mugi decided to take her up on her offer, spilling everything that she had kept pent up for the past month. She told Sawako about her date with Sei, she told her how confused she had felt afterwards, how distant she had become to Yumi, Shimako and Yoshino, how her state of mind caused her to not visit Yui, Mio, and Ritsu for an entire month, and how she was feeling in general.

"I just really feel… rattled, by this whole matter," said Mugi, who had stopped crying. She was seated beside Sawako, leaning against the walls of the garage; the faint sounds of Ritsu shouting could be heard. "I don't know how to deal with Sei-san right now; I had to invite her out of courtesy, right? Well, I did invite Sachiko-_neesan_ as well but she was busy so she couldn't go…"

She was beginning to spout incoherent things when she felt herself enveloped in a hug. "Shhh, Mugi, it's okay. I'm here, like I've always been for you and everyone," said Sawako softly, cradling Mugi's body beside her. "To be honest, I think for now you should pretend that nothing happened; I'd like to talk to her myself to find out why she did that. I could force her to 'fess up in exchange for me signing her DEATH DEVIL posters. You should rely on your _sensei _every now and then too."

Mugi sniffed, wiping her nose with her handkerchief. "Thank you, Sawako-_sensei_."

"I've been wondering about that though; why'd you stop calling me 'Sawa-chan' like everyone else?"

Mugi broke off from the hug and put a finger on her lips in thought. "I actually don't know, _sensei_. It's like a dynamic has to change before I can bring myself to call you that again. Once I had that epiphany, calling you 'Sawa-chan' as we are felt blasphemous to me."

Suddenly, a crackling was heard across the entire complex and the voice of the maid Mugi had addressed as "Misa-chan" crackled across the public announcement system. "To all guests of Tsumugi-ojou-sama, lunch is now ready to be served. Please proceed to the dining hall at your earliest convenience."

Sawako looked up at the arching roof of the garage. "Looks like it's time for lunch, Mugi-chan. Let's go."

Wiping her eyes one last time, Mugi nodded and got up with assistance from Sawako-_sensei_, who proffered her hand, a hand that the keyboardist accepted. Smiling at her, the bespectacled woman led the blonde on, and Mugi found herself unwilling to let go of Sawako's hand, wishing that this could go on.

x~~*~~x

Lunch was an extravagant affair. Gourmet dishes were served by the maids, to the shock of nearly everyone present, including the original Light Music Club. Despite the fact that they knew and experienced Mugi's wealth multiple times before, this marked the first time that she openly flaunted and displayed a large part of its capabilities.

When Mio asked Mugi why she decided to go all out this time, the blonde shrugged and replied.

"It's my nineteenth birthday, Mio-chan. We hadn't really gone anywhere my father owns on my previous birthdays, so I took this opportunity to make you all feel at home so that you can enjoy yourselves."

And enjoy they did. After the scrumptious lunch had been consumed, with Ritsu, Yui, Sawako and Sei taking the top four spots in terms of comestibles consumed, the huge strawberry shortcake was now served. Mugi had honorary first cut, but afterwards, the maids named Yoriko-san and Misa-chan sliced the cake for everyone, each slice being as large as three-fourths of a typical _whole _cake as sold in standard bakeshops.

Mio groaned at how fat she was going to get if she consumed it all, and asked the maids if it could be kept away in a fridge for her since she was going to take it home to her family.

"Oh come on Mio you spoilsport," said Ritsu, having already consumed one-quarter of her share. "A little more flesh wouldn't hurt your sexy curves."

Ritsu realized too late what she had said and she choked on the cake she was eating, gesturing wildly to Mio who was blushing in embarrassment. When that didn't work, Ritsu placed her hands on Mio's face, causing the bassist to blush even more when Mio's eyes grew as round as saucers when she realized Ritsu was choking.

"Water, water!" she screamed in fear. "Heimlich, Heimlich…"

Mio stood up and Ritsu did as well, then she performed the Heimlich maneuver like a trained nurse. The cake fell sloppily out of Ritsu's mouth onto the floor, and she gulped in air like a parched man offered spring water in Mordor.

"Guh… Thanks Mio," mumbled Ritsu as she sat back down quietly. "Sorry for the trouble."

Mio was surprised at how Ritsu was acting; she rarely apologized for things like this. The truth is, she was completely relieved. When she finally noticed Ritsu was choking, the first thing she realized was that she hadn't noticed immediately she was choking, which indicated that some time had elapsed. Her brain then panicked before what she had learned in school kicked in. "_You _baka…_ If anything happened to you under my watch, I'd never forgive myself._"

Of course, the bassist didn't say that out loud. Sei excused herself from the table, and Sawako stood up, following her. "I wonder where Sei-sama and Sawako-san are going?" asked Yumi out loud.

"Perhaps _onee-sama_ is going to have her posters signed?" offered Shimako.

"Yes, that must be it," said Yoshino as she ate a forkful of cake. "Mugi-san, this cake is wonderful!"

"Thank you very much, Yoshino-san!" replied Mugi happily. Of course, she was the only one who knew that Sawako had followed Sei to talk to her about things.

She hoped.

x~~*~~x

"So Catherine, how can I help you?" asked Sei, leaning against a door frame in a secluded room, far away from the dining hall.

Sawako, who was seated on the twin-sized bed, evidently this was a guest room, replied.

"Close the door first Sei-san."

Sei obliged and closed the door. "Again, how can I help you?"

One word.

"Mugi," said Sawako simply.

Sei smiled and clapped a hand to her forehead. "So you know everything that happened?"

Sawako nodded and continued, "Why did you do that? Do you like her?"

Sei shrugged and said as she paced across the room, tracing her fingertips over the oak desk in the corner.

"Yeah, I like Mugi-chan. A lot."

Sawako felt her heart palpitating, her heart rate increased drastically without warning. "_Why am I panicking? Why am I so agitated just by those simple words?_" thought Sawako.

"Please elaborate. What do you mean by 'a lot'?" pressed Sawako.

A few moments passed and neither said anything. Sei took a seat on the bed beside Sawako and turned to her, looking at her straight in the eye.

"Probably enough to make me want her to be my girlfriend," said Sei. "But, if there's one thing I can say with honesty, it's that I only want nothing but the best for Mugi-chan. I want her to be happy."

"And what you did qualifies as 'making her happy'? She's been troubled ever since that day!" Sawako replied, her voice rising. "How could you do that to her without giving her a proper goddamn statement? It's been tough on her; I'd already felt it when she was messaging me over the past month, like her spunk had gone out of her. Then I learned everything today and this…"

Sawako gestured her hands between the two of them and continued.

"I don't understand you. You seem to be a nice person, so why the fuck did you do that?" exclaimed Sawako. Luckily, they were far off from the group and they were confident that no one would overhear them, as large as the villa was.

"Again, Catherine, I will swear that all I want for Mugi-chan is the best for her. It's an end I want to achieve by any means," said Sei simply, as the two women stared at each other across the twin-sized bed.

Sawako looked on with a neutral look on her face that belied the state of her internal thoughts.

_No… I can't accept that. Time to face the music, Sawako. You've been putting this off for far too long, using excuses like your job, distance, and age gap. But no, I realize that when push comes to shove… I will not allow any other man or woman to take Mugi from me. Kotobuki Tsumugi is mine because I love her, and I'll be damned before I lose to this Satou Sei._

x~~*~~x

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Fukuzawa Yumi had shadowed them on the way to the secluded room, excusing herself from the table under the guise of having to relieve herself at the toilet. When the door had closed, she quietly eavesdropped and thus, had heard everything.

"I think I'll have to have a small chat with Sawako-san soon, about Mugi-chan," whispered Yumi to herself. "I just can't trust Sei-sama right now… She hasn't given any thought to her own _imouto_, Shimako-san."

"Yes, I think it's time I gave Mugi-chan her birthday present," she whispered with a smile on her face.

x~~*~~x

_Training camp continues next time! Please read and review and stay tuned!_

_As a footnote, all the names of the maids mentioned are actual maids from other anime. Go ahead and try to identify what shows they came from. :P_


	13. Deuxième partiè: Renshu to Ren'ai

_**Bolded**__ words indicate that __**English**__ is being spoken._

x~~*~~x

**Deuxième partiè: Renshu to Ren'ai**

The ojou had noticed both Sei and Sawako leave the dining table at almost the same time earlier. She wouldn't have given it another thought, thinking that all Sei wanted was to have Sawako autograph her posters when suddenly, Yumi had stood up as well, excusing herself to the restroom.

"_I wonder what that could be about," _thought Mugi curiously. "_I don't know what Sei-san and Sawako-_sensei _were talking about on the beach earlier but… No use overthinking it, Mugi._"

When most of the cake was already gone, Sawako and Sei returned, taking their seats without as much as a word between each other. Mugi felt as though there was something between the two that was palpable and yet at the same time it eluded her perception.

_What could have happened…_

Ritsu and Mio had excused themselves a short while earlier; Ritsu had spotted a netbook on the kitchen counter and when she had asked one of the maids what it was for, the maid replied, "This is the kitchen laptop, mainly used for quick and easy Googling."

Amused, Ritsu had dragged Mio, who resisted at first but like always, eventually relented to the kitchen to abuse the free internet that was afforded to them by Mugi, who was now directing her maids to clean up the dining table while handing out after-meal breathmints to everybody present.

Meanwhile, Ritsu was seated on a stool in the kitchen, feverishly tapping the laptop's touchpad while Mio stood behind her, her eyebrows raised in somewhat condescending amusement at what the drummer was looking up.

"Seriously Ritsu, you still have time to go onto 2ch?" said Mio with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah," said Ritsu, who was clicking through random threads until she chanced upon a photo thread that was most recently bumped by a user named Legendary Girl A.

"Wonder what pictures she's got this time. First, she got that busty friend of hers to dress up as Sheryl from _Macross Frontier, _now let's—"

Ritsu's mouth just stopped operating as though her nervous system had gone through deep paralysis. Mio's mouth formed a large "O" before the two of them looked at one another and back to the small netbook's screen in blank shock.

After a couple of minutes, Ritsu recovered and called over the maid she had talked to earlier, a blue-haired one named Ilfa who had a pair of white gadgets in the spots where her ears should be.

"Excuse me, may I take this out to the dining room?" said Ritsu in an uncharacteristically polite and demure voice, a sign that she was still in shock.

Ilfa nodded, and Ritsu and Mio robotically stood up and exited the kitchen, heading back towards the dining room. Everyone, including Yumi who had just returned, looked up when the two entered and immediately noticed that something was off about them.

"Ricchan, is everything alright?" asked Mugi with a hint of confusion in her voice. "_Is she worrying about the test of courage tonight?_" thought the ojou; she had assisted Ritsu in planning this out to scare Mio to attempt to change the dynamic they currently held and thus thought that the drummer was troubled about that.

Ritsu wordlessly set the netbook on the now cleared table where everyone could see the screen. Mugi and Sei gasped, then giggled at what they saw, while Sawako, who was drinking some juice, immediately spat out the mouthful she had when she saw the screen.

"Mugi, I didn't think you liked cosplaying _that much_," casually remarked Ritsu. "To be caught by Legendary Girl A herself on camera; you're now famous on 2ch. Everyone's asking for more pictures of the daughter of the Kotobuki patriarch cosplaying as Fate Testarossa."

Sawako was extremely intrigued by this at the very least. "_Oh if only…,_" the redhead thought wistfully. "_I didn't think she was the type to watch anime though. Then again, there's Nanako, who introduced me to my love of cosplay stemming from anime…_"

She had noticed how both Mugi and Sei giggled, their eyes meeting with the former immediately averting her stare the moment she had looked. Sei definitely had something to do with this.

"Well, Sei-san here was the reason for all this," said Mugi uncertainly, unsure on what she should even be feeling right now. Should she be amused that a fun experience was had because of Sei, or should she feel confused _because_ it involved Sei? Her thoughts were in shambles at the moment, and the keyboardist decided to take a neutral stance. "She handed me the costume and I decided to play along. If only I had a Bardiche replica…"

The blonde giggled half-heartedly, and thankfully, no one noticed that. Except for the two oldest women in the group.

"_She definitely had fun on that day, and yet Sei ruined it with that kiss,_" thought Sawako angrily. "_I'm an expert at reading people, and yet what Sei is doing is beyond my comprehension. What the hell is she up to?_"

"Mugi, you've gone over to the dark side," said Mio with a look of utter seriousness on her face; all those sessions involving Sawako forcing her to cosplay had an effect on her. Of course, she eventually grew to _like_ those sessions, but she would take the secret to her grave before should would admit it.

"_Just like my feelings about this idiot,_" thought Mio morosely, looking at Ritsu who had gotten over the shock and was now discussing other prospects of cosplay for Mugi with Yoshino.

"…and I think she'd do a fine job dressing up as Sophitia from _Soul Calibur _and as Minami Haruka from _Minami-ke_," said Yoshino animatedly to Ritsu.

"Uh, guys," said Mio. "I think it's about time we practiced; this _is_ still a training camp, after all. Shimako-san and everyone else—" she gestured towards Yoshino, Yumi and Sei, "—I'd be honored if you watched us practice. It's only fitting you see how good Mugi is on the keyboard."

"We've already seen that, actually," responded Yumi, taking a gulp of water. "Mugi-chan used to play piano arrangements of songs whenever we'd have tea in our room. The warmth she exudes is just wonderful, don't you agree, Yoshino-san, Shimako-san?"

The two addressed nodded, and Mio smiled.

"Well, then it's about time you guys saw us perform as a band. Yui, Azusa, let's go!"

"_Osu!_" said Yui and Azusa at the same time, while Ritsu called a maid over and handed the netbook to her so that it could be returned to its default spot on the kitchen counter.

"_Music is not only an art to me, but right now, it's what I need to clear my thoughts,_" thought the blonde. "_I hope no one's noticed how I'm acting towards Sei-san… well, other than Sei-san herself._"

Everyone stood up, headed for the garage where all the instruments were kept. Inwardly, Mugi was feeling bad for avoiding Sei, and she decided that she needed to clear her head for this to end. She hoped that Sei would understand why she was avoiding her; after all, no matter how talented Mugi was, she was still only human.

Had she known that she was now closer to her happiness than she was before, she would've had a smile on her face when she headed for the garage in Ritsu and Mio's wake. Years later, knowing what happened between Sei and Sawako, she would look back on this day and she'd acknowledge that this was, indeed, the turning point.

x~~*~~x

"The acoustics of this garage is great," said Sawako with a tone of approval. "You did good, Mugi-chan."

She then kicked back on the couch beside Yoshino, Shimako, Sei, Ui, Satoshi, and Jun. "Excuse me, could the seven of us have some tea please?" she called to the maid named Motoka, who nodded and hurried to the kitchen to comply with her request. Everyone was still in their swimsuits; they were all dry already and none of them felt like changing just yet.

Mugi smiled and replied, "Well _sensei_, it's for practice after all; the setting's got to be perfect so we can practice at a performance level."

"_Senpai_, what song should we do first?" asked Azusa of the four girls while the Lillian contingent watched with bated breath, eager to finally experience the music that was credited to Houkago Tea Time. Sawako glanced beside her and said, "Relax guys, they're not going to be completely stellar for the first song. Of course, I could be wrong, but hey…"

"_Ichigo Parfait ga Tomaranai!_" exclaimed Yui, while Azusa sighed, wondering how large a percentage of Yui's brain was wired to give attention to comestibles. Motoka had returned with a large tray laden with teacups filled with oolong tea and she placed it on a small wheeled table beside the couch. Sawako took a cup and motioned for the others to do the same.

"_Cagayake GIRLS!_" said Ritsu, raising her drumsticks in the air with enthusiasm.

"Why don't we do the songs we've never performed live before?" suggested Mugi. "Like, the songs each of us had written for ourselves before. What do you guys think?"

The four nodded and Mio replied, "That's a good idea Mugi; we've never played these songs for anyone else other than ourselves before."

The songs were more personal to the band members and reflected facets of their personality through the powerful medium that was music. "I vote we should do the song Yui-_senpai_ composed for Gitah," said Azusa with a grin. "Yui-_senpai's_ into companion cubes after all."

"Haha, that's definitely perfect for a starting song; pretty fast paced too," said Ritsu, nodding with approval.

"You better write something for Azusa-chan that's like that too, Yui-chan!" exclaimed Mugi with glee, having some success at pushing thoughts involving Sei out of her mind. "_I guess I do need to push the others along to distract myself. Now I know what they meant by 'nice girls finish last'._"

"_Gitah ni Kubittake _it is," said Mio. "Ready Ritsu? Entry beats in three, two, one…"

And off they went: Ritsu delivering the opening beats flawlessly, while Yui charged on with her guitar parts. Mio's low tones stood firm amidst the drums and guitar parts, while Mugi's synthesized tones provided flavor to the song. It was a song that Yui had written a long time ago as part of the club's activity on lyrics writing that Mio had forced onto them; none of them knew that it was an excuse for Mio to write _Heart Goes Boom! _without embarrassing herself more than the usual. Azusa continued to support the beat as rhythm guitar while Yui went over the lead, singing along happily while she strummed.

When the song ended, the spectators burst into applause, with the loudest applause coming from the Lillian contingent.

"You guys are awesome," remarked Yoshino. "You definitely live up to the hype. Well, the hype we got from Tsumugi-san's tales, at the very least. The swimsuits make it look more awesome too."

Yui looked at Mugi happily and leapt onto her after relieving herself of Gitah. "To say such good things about us; you're the best, Mugi-chan!" exclaimed Yui as she glomped the keyboardist, who was smiling broadly. "You might as well give Azusa-chan a hug too, Yui-chan."

"No need to tell me that," said the brunette as she immediately leapt towards Azusa, who had already seen it coming and had relieved herself of Muttan in anticipation of the glomp. "Azu-nyan's so huggable~"

"Yes yes, Yui-_senpai_. I think we should move onto the next song," said Azusa amidst Yui's crushing hug.

"Right! Since we did the song I wrote, we should do what everyone else did! It's only fair," said Yui as she let go of Azusa and took up Gitah.

The other four nodded and Ui spoke up from the couch. "Tsumugi-_senpai_, if it's not too much trouble, could I have a keyboard lesson from you sometime later? Apparently, it's better for our band _Okawari_ if I play the keyboard instead of the guitar."

"Absolutely no problem at all, Ui-chan. I'm glad to help!" said Mugi with a smile on her face.

Jun turned to Ui and said, "I know we've talked about this, but what happens to your Pacifica, Ui?"

"About that… Sawako-_sensei_, I think I'll just sell the guitar back to you. You did help me acquire this, so it makes sense that you should have it. How does half-price sound?"

"I'll take it; can't go wrong with a guitar that isn't even three months old for half the price," said Sawako gleefully. "But I think half-price is too low, Ui-chan. Tell you what, here's what we'll do. Give me your guitar and I'll find a nice keyboard that costs almost the same."

"That'd be even better _sensei_; now we can just return the keyboard you borrowed for us!" said Ui happily. "Isn't this great, Satoshi-kun?"

Ui clasped his hands in her own, forgetting that she wasn't alone with the younger Tainaka in her euphoria. Satoshi just nodded dumbly, while Ritsu coughed loudly. "Okay, that's a little too sweet for my own taste, but congrats Satoshi!"

Ui then realized where she was and she let go of Satoshi's hands, blushing profusely, metaphorically sinking into her seat on the couch while Yoshino, Jun and Sawako giggled unashamedly.

"Anyway, I think we better get back on track. Watch us guys!" exclaimed Ritsu while she glanced at Ui and Satoshi who were now consciously moving away from each other in embarrassment. "So, whose song are we doing next?"

"I think we should do yours," said Mio. Yui, Azusa and Mugi nodded. "Here we go!" said Mugi happily as she began the opening tunes to _Girly Storm Shissou Stick _alongside Ritsu's opening beats.

x~~*~~x

After they had rocked to _Heart Goes Boom!, Jajauma Way to Go _and _Dear my Keys ~Kenban no Mahou~_, Mugi suggested they take a break, realized that her playing was becoming a bit scattered. It was had that Houkago Tea Time was, as their name attributed partly, having tea along with Sawako, Yoshino, Yumi, Shimako, Sei, Jun, Ui and Satoshi.

"So _sensei_, what do you think so far?" asked Mugi of Sawako.

"Well, to be honest Mugi, you were a bit off back during the last song. You made a few mistakes here and there, with the tempo. I'd attribute it to the long layoff, nothing to worry about," said Sawako airily.

"_The scary part is that I loved to play this song to calm myself back at the dorm,_" thought Mugi sadly. "_It's no layoff; I'm definitely still distracted. I better do something about this and quick._"

"Ricchan, may I speak to you alone for just a moment?" said Mugi. "Mio-chan, if I may?"

Both of them nodded, and Ritsu stood up, following Mugi to the exterior of the garage.

"Why'd Mugi ask me though?" pondered the bassist aloud as the two exited the garage.

They stood under the shade of the roofing, gazing out at the sea and the beach, bathed in sunlight. It was three in the afternoon and it afforded a good view, birds were chirping happily and the surroundings seemed more colorful than usual. Mugi gestured to the forest and said,

"Ricchan, are we all set for tonight's test of courage?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I've written down the plans," said the drummer. "It's not with me right now; it's in my luggage."

"Are they detailed?" asked Mugi, leaning against the wall and looking towards a tree whose branches were sagging heavily with fruit.

Ritsu nodded and said, "As detailed as my mind could imagine. No way could I specify distances and stuff; I don't know the layout of the land after all."

"That's no problem," said Mugi, waving a hand. "After we practice, hand the paper over to Chiharu-san and she'll handle things. I'll probably lend them a hand as well while everyone goes back to swimming later in the afternoon."

Ritsu smiled, clapping a hand on Mugi's shoulder. "Thanks a lot Mugi. You're such an awesome friend."

Mugi, overwhelmed, hugged Ritsu instinctively. "You too Ricchan, you too."

The two returned to the garage, and Azusa suggested after Yui's fourth strawberry that they resume practicing, to which everybody acceded.

"What'll we play this time?" asked Mio. "_I'll have to save my request for later. It'll probably be better that way,_" she thought, considering how she'd make her mark in a way she wouldn't do normally.

"You pick this time, Azusa," said Ritsu, taking up her position behind the drums.

The _kouhai_ pinched her chin with her thumb and index finger, thinking hard. "How about something from the cassette recording we made?"

"That's a good idea Azusa. You get to pick," said Mio.

"_Ichigo Parfait ga Tomaranai,_" whispered Yui discreetly to Azusa, who glared at the brunette in mock irritation. Looking into Yui's eyes, she said clearly,

"_Tokimeki Sugar._"

"Aww… but caramel sauce is good too, right, Mio-chan?" said Yui, whose pout immediately evaporated upon rationalizing that caramel sauce was a vital component of various delicious pastries.

Sawako prodded Yoshino beside her and said, "This is one of Mio-chan's usual songs. She loves writing diabetes-inducing lyrics. Back in my day, this stuff would never fly with the Light Music Club."

Sei chuckled at that comment and Sawako had to smile despite the altercation the two of them had earlier.

"I guess, Yui," said Mio. "Alright Ritsu, let's go!"

Ritsu nodded and said loudly, "One, two, three, four!"

Mio's fingers immediately took off, dancing all over Elizabeth with Ritsu and Mugi entering, followed by Yui and Azusa. Mugi's playing was better, possibly aided by the fact that _Tokimeki Sugar_ was nowhere near as keyboard heavy as _Dear my Keys_. Once again, like when they had done _Heart Goes Boom!_, the Lillian contingent all gaped at Mio's beautiful singing voice.

"Mio-san's voice sounds so sexy…," said Yumi dreamily before she could stop herself. "Don't let Sachiko hear you say that, Yumi-chan," teased Sei, who ruffled Yumi's hair.

"Mio-san is a wonderful singer indeed," said Shimako. "I wonder if she can do _enka_ though…"

Yoshino and Sawako laughed loudly when they tried to imagine Mio doing _enka_. No matter how ill-suited Azusa was for _enka_, Mio was that triple-fold. "Tsumugi-san's got a very wonderful voice as well," commented Yoshino. "Definitely," agreed Yumi, both of whom had heard her sing alongside her playing back at the dorm.

When the song had ended, everyone applauded them as usual. Mio had taken note of the compliments for Mugi's singing and thus, she suggested that they do _Honey Sweet Tea Time_ next. The four agreed, and Ritsu tapped the first three beats out and Yui followed with the opening guitar part.

Mugi's turn to enter came, and she played the notes, rapidly using the synthesizer when the keyboard wasn't the main instrument that carried the melody. Alongside this, she sang as well. Mio looked at Mugi every now and then while they played the song that she and Mugi had co-written, and she continued to be amazed at how quick Mugi could flip between synthesized and unsynthesized notes at the drop of a hat on top of singing.

When the song ended, Sawako commented on Mugi's performance this time around.

"You did much better, Mugi-chan. You seemed more focused unlike earlier."

Mugi sheepishly scratched her head and replied, "Singing keeps me focused more, _sensei_. Oh but wait, I was also the vocalist for _Dear my Keys…_ Ehehe, my mistake. It was probably the tea break we had, in that case."

Sawako noticed how flustered Mugi was getting and she was now concerned that something else was troubling her. Her thoughts turned to her altercation with Sei earlier and she froze in horror when she realized that Mugi could've easily deduced something was up when they both left the table at nearly the same time. Neither of them had mentioned DEATH DEVIL posters, so it was completely justifiable for Mugi to feel uneasy about the whole matter.

"_Fuck this,_" thought the blonde, berating herself for the language she used in her thoughts. "_I just wish I could stop thinking about Sei and _sensei_ for a while… Is this how young maidens really are when they're in love and things become exceedingly complicated?_"

Mugi sighed internally and continued her quest, feeling guilty that she was now using the practice session as nothing more than a tool in distracting herself. "What shall we play this time, everyone?" she asked of the other four, taking great lengths to ensure her voice betrayed none of the turmoil she was feeling.

"Hmm, I think I should pick this time," said Ritsu thoughtfully. "_Curry Nochi Rice_, anyone?"

"Good choice, Ritsu-_senpai,_" said Azusa.

After they had played _Curry Nochi Rice, _they decided to perform _Ichigo Parfait ga Tomaranai_ to satisfy Yui who had been clamoring for the song for a while now. Then they did _Pure Pure Heart, Watashi no Koi wa Hotchikiss, Fuwa Fuwa Time, No Thank You!, U&I, _at which Ui animatedly told the group on the couch how Yui had composed that song for her when she was bedridden due to fever, _Listen!, _and_ Utauyo!MIRACLE._

"I think we should do one last song before we head out to the beach," said Ritsu. "We still gotta smash some melons, Mio."

Mio nodded and decided that she should do it now. "Hey guys, can I pick the last song?" the bassist said.

"Sure, Mio-chan," replied both Mugi and Yui. "Go ahead, _senpai_," replied Azusa, while Ritsu nodded.

"Alright… Let's do _Fuyu no Hi_," said Mio. "However… Yui, I want to do the vocals for this song."

Yui looked nonplussed for a moment; normally, she was the vocalist for _Fuyu no Hi_ but then she recalled exactly _what she had been singing_ and smiled. "Go ahead, Mio-chan."

"Thanks," said Mio as she nodded_._ "Ready guys?" she said, taking a deep breath.

"Okay!" said Ritsu, Mugi, Yui and Azusa at the same time.

And so they began, with Ritsu and Yui leading the way. However, unlike what they were normally accustomed to, Mio was the one singing, and the bassist decided to give her all in singing this song.

"_Perhaps she'll notice it…," _thought the raven-haired bassist as she began to sing.

x~~*~~x

_donna ni samukutemo boku wa shiawase / No matter how cold it is, I'm happy_

_shiroi toiki hazumasete kaketeku kimi wo miteru to / Watching your white breath as you spring into a run_

_x~~*~~x _

_kiri soroeta kami ga totemo niatteru / Your hairstyle really suits you_

_demo maegami wo oroshita kimi no sugata mo mite mitai / But I want to see how you look with your bangs down_

_x~~*~~x _

"_I definitely like your hair better when it's not in a headband."_

_x~~*~~x _

_nani kara hanaseba ii no kana / I wonder what I should say_

_"suki" kara hajimete ii kana / Is "I like you" a good way to start?_

_mau yuki odotta kimochi mitai / My feelings are dancing like fluttering snow_

_nanka ureshii ne / But somehow I'm happy_

_x~~*~~x _

"_Even so, I'm truly happy with the way we are right now… As long as you don't leave me, Ritsu, I'll be happy. Just like the day you found me troubled over a fourth-grade essay. I wish you'd never leave."_

_x~~*~~x _

_konna ni azayaka na shiroku hikaru machi / On this vivid white, shining road_

_kimi to boku de arukitai te wo tsunaide nara ii no ni na? / I want to walk with you; it would be okay if we held hands?_

_x~~*~~x _

_itazura na egao ga totemo niatteru / Your mischievous smile really suits you_

_demo hoho wo akaku shite tereteru kimi mo mite mitai / But I also want to see your shy, blushing face_

_x~~*~~x _

_doushite kotoba ga dete konai no kana / Why is it that no words will come out?_

_jisho demo hiite miyou ka na / Should I look some up in a dictionary?_

_furu yuki tomanai kimochi mitai / My feelings, like falling snow, won't stop_

_chotto setsunai ne / It kind of hurts_

_x~~*~~x _

"_Despite the sadness, I am still happy with what we have."_

_x~~*~~x _

_kokoro no oku de / On the inside of my heart_

_ookiku iki wo shiyou / I'm taking a deep breath_

_x~~*~~x _

_mune ga itamu koto mo fueta ki ga suru kedo / Even though I feel like the aching in my heart is increasing_

_demo sono bun kimi no koto omotteru tte kiduita yo / I think it made me realize my feelings for you_

_yappari ne / Just as I thought_

_x~~*~~x _

"_I knew a long time ago yet deluded myself into thinking it wasn't so. Afraid to face the music? Perhaps."_

_x~~*~~x _

_ashita mo itsumo no basho ni iku yo / Tomorrow we'll meet at our usual place_

_kakete kuru kimi wo matsu yo / You'll be running and I'll wait for you_

_hatsuyuki matsu you na kimochi ga hora / Just like I'm waiting for the first snow of the season_

_motto hazunde / Run a little faster_

_x~~*~~x _

"_Now I'm running faster, embracing what I once denied. Should I tell you 'I like you'? I'm still afraid."_

_x~~*~~x _

_nani kara hanaseba ii no kana / I wonder what I should say_

_"suki" kara hajimete ii kana / Is "I like you" a good way to start?_

_mau yuki odotta kimochi mitai / My feelings are dancing like fluttering snow_

_nanka ureshii ne / But somehow I'm happy_

_x~~*~~x _

As Mugi played the final note, Mio was thinking.

"_I did it. I've always expressed myself through music, and I've done it in a more proactive way. This is the only way I can express how I feel for you right now._"

Everyone was stunned by how good the performance was. Even the band members themselves were momentarily stymied by how good their rendition of _Fuyu no Hi_ had been compared to any of the other songs that had preceded it.

"That, my dear kids, is fucking god-tier," said Sawako victoriously, standing up and applauding loudly. Shimako, Yoshino, Sei, Yumi, Ui, Satoshi and Jun all stood up and applauded as well.

"That was amazing, Mio-_senpai_," said Jun in admiration, wishing that she could be as good as the person she idolized.

"It's completely different when Mio-chan is the one singing this song," said Yui, turning to the others. "Yes, the song seems to ascended to a superior level, no offense to you Yui-chan," said Mugi, clearly seeing through everything as usual.

"I agree completely Mugi-chan; Mio-chan's better off singing this song than me," said Yui flashing Mio a "V" to signify that she had done well. "Ricchan, what do you think?"

"It was great, Mio. It was really great. R-Right, so that's enough practice for today," said Ritsu with a note of finality in her voice. "Time to have fun, then?"

Sawako nodded, and even Azusa nodded. "To the beach!" cried the drummer as Yui set Gitah aside before dragging Azusa towards the door, barely giving her time to set Muttan down, with Mugi chatting with Sawako about DEATH DEVIL posters with Sei in tow. Following them were Yumi, Jun, Ui and Satoshi. Last was Yoshino, who had a look of inquiry on her face as she looked at the drummer. Ritsu shrugged, at which Yoshino raised an eyebrow, and right then and there it was as if a subliminal message was exchanged between the two. Ritsu felt that through such a series of simple yet cryptic gestures, she had conveyed to Yoshino what she had felt.

"Yoshino, can you come with me for a moment?" asked Ritsu. "I need to hand something to one of Mugi's maids, and I'd be happy if you helped me out."

"No problem, Ritsu-san," said Yoshino.

While Ritsu had explained the plans she had for test of courage to Yoshino, she realized that she had gained another valuable ally in her pursuit of happiness. Egged on by Mio's singing earlier, she suddenly felt a confidence boost in herself for what she had planned.

"You're a lot like _onee-sama_," commented Yoshino as the two made their way towards the beach to join everyone else after they had modified Ritsu's plans and giving them to Chiharu.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Ritsu, curious, as she saw Mio get hit in the face with a beach ball by Yui, who laughed and mock-ran away from Mio who was chasing her in mock-rage with Azusa looking on with an exasperated look on her face.

"She's tough on the outside but loving and caring on the inside," said Yoshino. "You're like that as well, Ritsu-san."

"I guess I am," whispered Ritsu as she ran ahead of Yoshino towards the jet ski just as Sei had disembarked leaving a winded Yuuichi waiting for the next driver.

x~~*~~x

Yoshino had called Yumi and Shimako out of earshot from everyone else on the pretext that they were going to phone their parents. They headed towards the front entrance to the villa to talk in private.

"Well, I think they're all a very interesting bunch," said Yoshino. "No wonder Tsumugi-san loves and cherishes them so much."

"Agreed, Yoshino-san," said Yumi while Shimako just nodded serenely. "However, it's become painfully clear to me that they've got… complicated things going on amongst themselves, to say the least," continued Yoshino.

Once more, Yumi and Shimako nodded in agreement. "Therefore, I've taken it upon myself to help Ritsu-san out and I wish for your cooperation as well on this matter. It's definitely going to be a fun evening."

"Sure, I'll help out," said Yumi. "Me too," echoed Shimako.

"Yui-san and Azusa-san seem to be a-okay compared to Ritsu-san and Mio-san," said Shimako. "Yui-san's sister's got it good though even if she also happens to be the odd one out."

The three girls giggled until another voice joined theirs.

"Don't forget me," said Sei, peering at them from behind the screen door, which she opened, stepping out onto the porch along with the three. "As much as you don't trust me Yumi, I definitely know what I'm doing for Mugi-chan. What's the plan, Yoshino-chan?"

"We're all going to have a test of courage later; Tsumugi-san's going to announce it over dinner and I'm going to have to talk to her to let her know that we're in on the plan. I'll explain more later; for now, I think we should make the most of the beach before the sun sets, no?"

The other three nodded, and both Shimako and Yoshino returned to join the others, leaving Yumi and Sei alone together. "Sei-sama, I just really hope you truly know what you're doing…," said Yumi.

x~~*~~x

Dinner time had arrived and this time, Mugi was content in letting her maids do all the work without her overseeing things. Ritsu, Mio and Yui were able to split quite a few watermelons earlier; she had these removed completely of the seeds and served in neat slices to all the participants for dessert later

While the final preparations for dinner were being laid, Yoshino had beckoned Mugi, saying that she needed to speak with her in private. After a short while, Mugi nodded and she knew that she had more hands to work with to make Ritsu's plans end in success.

"Don't forget everyone – the changing room's that way," pointed Mugi towards the large room that contained nothing but swimsuits. "Drop your used swimsuits in the hamper; Misa-chan is going to have all of those laundered and dried so that they can still be used tomorrow."

The girls all followed, with Ui lagging at the very end just so she could give Satoshi a peck on the cheek when she thought no one was looking. When she passed Mugi, the blonde whispered into Ui's ear.

"Ehehe, good job Ui-chan."

"T-Tsumugi-_senpai!_" exclaimed the ponytailed brunette in surprise, nearly jumping out of her skin while Mugi just chuckled. "Yes, a job well done. Now go, everyone else's already changing."

Mugi followed Ui to the room and stuck her head in. "By the way guys, shower rooms are outside so that everyone can get showered without waiting in line."

The blonde would take her shower in her own bedroom to give herself some time to mull things over. Heading back to the porch, she saw Satoshi standing around uncertainly, unsure on where to go for changing or showering.

"Sorry Satoshi-kun, but as the only boy, you'll have to use a separate bathroom for showering and changing. I can hand your shorts over to Misa-chan later if you give them to me after you've changed. Before that though, I'd just like to ask you about Ui-chan."

"A-about Ui-chan?" echoed the boy nervously; clearly, he was embarrassed to talk about his relationship with Ui.

Mugi nodded and continued, "I'm just curious as to how it happened. Would you mind telling this _onee-san_ how it went down?"

Satoshi nodded and he began his tale. "I guess I could say I really liked Ui-chan after she showed me how dedicated she was to music. She'd always talk about how she'd want to follow in Yui-_senpai's_ footsteps, how she'd want to make _Okawari_ a great band with everyone's help. And then after that… actually, she was the one who made the first move, I think… We were practicing one time when during the break period we had set aside, she pulled me aside and said that she wanted to talk to me alone. We both talked about many things, but I'd say that what we shared in common the most was our dedication to music."

Satoshi coughed and continued, holding the keyboardist spellbound by his tale. "The drum set _nee-chan_ and I share is almost never unused; when one isn't on it, the other surely is. Ui-chan then asked me, 'Satoshi-kun, why did you help us out? Was it out of pity for Azusa-chan?' then I replied, 'Of course not; sure, there's a bit of concern but mostly it was because I saw this as an opportunity for my love of music to take a tangible form.' After that day, I guess we grew closer and closer until around two weeks ago when I finally stomached up the courage to ask her out. I was waiting for her at the gates of Sakura High School's Girl's campus when I finally asked her out in front of her home when I escorted her back. Thankfully, she said yes and well, here we are…"

Mugi nodded thoughtfully and extended her hand. "Congratulations, Satoshi-kun. I hope you and Ui-chan stay happy."

The younger Tainaka took her hand and excused himself to change and shower. Mugi directed him towards the bathroom he had used earlier that day and this finally left Mugi all alone in the dining hall.

At that moment, she realized that the test of courage was only a few hours away, staring at them in the face. She then realized that she couldn't afford to be spacing out on such an important night for Ritsu and Mio. Heading towards her bedroom's bathroom to take a hot bath and change, she began to mentally tally and check everything Ritsu had told her over the phone beginning from a few weeks ago. She would then corroborate this information with Chiharu-san after dinner, along with Yoshino, Yumi and Shimako. She considered letting Yui and Azusa in, and thought that despite Yui's clumsiness, it would be a good idea so long as the cat isn't let out of the bag.

She understood that if Mio realized that she was being set up by nearly everyone in the group, she would definitely take things the wrong way and Ritsu's plan would end in failure. She had reached her bathroom; she was now stripping down to her birthday suit while the bathtub filled up with hot water. She felt a bit guilty for delegating everyone else to showers while she had a warm tub bath, but she realized that she needed some relaxation badly, or anything, anything at all to keep her thoughts away from Sei.

While she was scrubbing her body, she had a stroke of inspiration: To keep things as innocuous as possible from Mio's point of view, she had to plant a sleeper to accompany her and Ritsu for the test of courage. The best choice would be Azusa, definitely. She could have a second group composed of Ui, Satoshi, Jun, and Sawako to further throw suspicion off as well.

All these flooded Mugi's mind and, for the first time that day, she felt a feeling of victory. "I'll definitely do my best to make this a success for Ricchan," she whispered to herself as she stepped out of the tub and wore a tank top and shorts after drying herself off.

x~~*~~x

"Alright guys, we're going to be having a test of courage tonight," said Mugi, having gathered everyone at the porch at the stroke of midnight. "Here's the necessary equipment," she said, gesturing to a table that had bottles of bug spray and multiple LED flashlights all primed for usage.

"We'll be headed over to the woods for this, so please take care not to lose your footing. All of my maids are trained in basic first-aid, but please _do_ _be careful_. I don't want to have to airlift a doctor onto the premises, and that's not because of the expense I'll have to spare for that. Everyone, just keep safe, alright?"

Everyone nodded, and Mugi glanced at Yoshino, Ritsu, and then Yui, who all replied with actions of differing subtlety. "Right, so for now, we'll form groups that'll undertake the test of courage. Ricchan, Mio-chan, and Azusa-chan, you're in one group, the first. Ui-chan, Satoshi-kun, Jun-chan, you're in the second group."

The three nodded, with Ritsu and Azusa already in on the plan; Azusa had to make sure that her role as the sleeper plant was dead on for Mio not to suspect anything. Though she had been briefed by Ritsu and Mugi on what the obstacles were, she still couldn't fathom the outlandishness of some of them.

x~~*~~x

"_You're saying that you've got three portable projectors all triangulated towards one point to produce a projection of the Flying Dutchman from _Spongebob Squarepants_?" asked Azusa incredulously during their closed doors meeting with everyone who was involved, namely Ritsu, Mugi, Yui, Shimako, Yoshino, and Yumi._

_Mugi nodded and replied, "There's also a huge replica of Olmec from the western game show _Legends of the Hidden Temple_ somewhere along the path; I didn't even know that Ricchan knew of the show and I was happy to find out about this part of her plan."_

_The drummer in question sheepishly laughed and said, "There's also the last bit, a corpse hanging by her neck from a tree. It'll be in the likeness of Nodoka to throw Mio off completely. Crude as it is, I think it'll be the knockout punch for the small test of courage. The three major landmarks are enough, Mugi?"_

_The blonde nodded and said, "Right then. Let's get this show on the road!"_

x~~*~~x

While Ritsu, Mio and Azusa headed towards the track, Mugi turned to the rest and said,

"Alright, standby ready, guys, we've got some work to do."

"I think I'll pass this time, guys," said Sei, to the surprise of Yumi. "Sei-sama, are you seriously not going to do this?"

Sei nodded and replied. "Changed my mind: I wanna take the night off. Probably have a couple of drinks. You in, Catherine?" she asked Sawako who was surprised that Sei had addressed her despite the altercation that happened earlier that day.

"I guess I could join you… Might as well autograph your posters, right?" said Sawako, thinking that she could probably use this opportunity to find out more about what Sei wanted to happen for Mugi. "_I will get to the bottom of this._"

"Well, that's in order then. Motoka-san!" called Sei to the blonde maid who was standing by the kitchen door in the dining room. "Catherine and I are a-go, wanna join us as well? Oh right, sorry Mugi-chan, but I kinda befriended Motoka-san here and asked her to join Catherine and I for a few rounds of drinks."

Mugi sighed internally at Sei's headstrongness but realized that this was what made Sei, Sei. With a wry smile, she nodded and called to Motoka. "Motoka-san, it's alright; go ahead and have fun with Sei-san and Sawako-_sensei_. I'll just coordinate with Chiharu-san for the rest; she's already up in the woods fixing up the projectors anyway."

"My deepest gratitude, ojou-sama," said Motoka as she bowed, at which she beckoned to Sawako and Sei, holding up a couple of beers in her hands. When the two women followed the blonde maid to a small side room, Mugi turned back to the rest.

"Right, so we need someone to control the voice recording for the Olmec replica. Yoshino-san, would you like to do it?" asked Mugi.

"Sure Tsumugi-san, I'll do it. Shimako-san, Yumi-san, come with me if you please. You too Yui-san, if it's alright," said Yoshino, taking the remote that Mugi proffered to her.

"Sure, Yoshino-chan!" replied Yui happily.

"This remote controls the playback, so make sure that you loop the audio. Also, you guys might want these if you're going to huddle inside the large Olmec replica," said Mugi, showing multiple small Ziploc packs to them.

The Ziploc packs contained earplugs, and when Yumi raised her eyebrows inquisitively, Mugi said, "The sound system will be deafening if you're inside the replica underneath the speakers that Yuuichi-san set up a while ago. Please use these to protect your ears."

"Thank you, Mugi-chan," said Yumi, accepting the packets for the four of them. "We're off then."

"Have a safe trip," said Mugi to the quartet as they headed up towards the woods.

"I'll have some cake when we get back!" exclaimed Yui as she waved before turning to the other three as they walked towards the woods.

Smiling to herself, she went back to the kitchen and retrieved the ski mask she had been keeping. Tying her hair up into a small ponytail the way Mio did it on occasion, she slipped the ski mask over her face and illuminated her face with the flashlight.

"I've always wanted to do that," said Mugi to herself as she headed towards the woods to begin the long trek involved in overseeing the test of courage.

x~~*~~x

"The wind's pretty cool tonight, don't you think, Mio-_senpai_," remarked Azusa casually as they traversed through the woods through the path that Mugi had set earlier.

"Y-Yeah, I guess you could say it is pretty cool," replied Mio with a twinge of nervousness in her voice; already, she was clutching Ritsu's arm with the latter trying her hardest not to look too pleased at that fact.

Mio could feel that she was internally freezing up due to fear of the task at hand. And yet… she felt so _safe_ as long as she was with Ritsu. _I guess I can do anything as long as I'm with her. Just like my fourth grade essay so long ago…_

While her body was next to Ritsu and Azusa, her mind was wandering off to a far-off place in the past.

x~~*~~x

"_Hey you, you're Akiyama-san, right?" asked Ritsu of the raven-haired girl sitting on a swing in the playground, holding a piece of paper in her hands._

"_Y-Yes, that's me, A-Akiyama Mio…," mumbled the girl in reply._

"_What's wrong?" asked Ritsu, staring at the paper Mio was holding in her hands. "Oh right, you won the essay contest thingy, right? Heh, I wish I could write essays that won prizes. You're lucky."_

"_Of course I'm not lucky? What do you know anyway?" snapped Mio, as though the walls surrounding her feelings came down all at once, goaded along by the pressure she felt when she had discovered that, since her essay had won, she was supposed to read the essay aloud at the school assembly the following week as was stipulated by the notice in her hands._

"_Calm down, Mio-chan," said Ritsu. "I'm not sure if you know me, but I'm Tainaka Ritsu, one of your classmates. You can call me Ricchan."_

"_R-Ricchan," said Mio tentatively, her anger dissolving at Ritsu's blunt introduction. "R-Ricchan," repeated the raven-haired girl, her tresses drooping across her shoulders as she continued to hold the notice in her two hands._

"_Tell you what: come over to my house and we can practice. I'll be the audience, and you can keep practicing for the assembly, Mio-chan," said Ritsu gaily. "In fact, I can tie up my hair like this—"_

_She took an elastic out of her short pocket and tied her bangs into a small lump on the crest of her head._

"_See, I look like a pineapple now? Imagine that everyone watching are pineapples," said Ritsu, extending her hand to Mio._

_The shy girl looked at who would become her future best friend and took her hand, being led along by Ritsu as they headed towards her house to practice._

x~~*~~x

"Hello~ Earth to Mio-san," called Ritsu, snapping her fingers in front of Mio.

"Mio-_senpai_, are you alright? I hope you weren't traumatized; it's just a projection," said Azusa, gesturing towards the likeness of the Flying Dutchman from _Spongebob Squarepants_ hovering in front of them.

"Wha…?" said Mio softly, snapping out of her reverie. Apparently, unbeknownst to Azusa and Ritsu, Mio was far too immersed in the memory of the day she had become friends with Ritsu to even parse the projection that had appeared before her. "Oh, hey, isn't that from _Spongebob?_"

Ritsu and Azusa simultaneously slapped their foreheads in frustration (though it was much easier for the former to do that) and they trudged towards the second location, towards the replica of Olmec from _Legends of the Hidden Temple_ where Yui, Yumi, Yoshino and Shimako were waiting.

"Tch," clucked Chiharu as the projection did not faze Mio in the slightest. "Oh well, perhaps I should head back…"

Mio was still clinging to Ritsu, who was leading the way with Azusa in their wake. "_Perhaps sometime, Yui-_senpai_ and I…_"

Azusa shook her head and decided to focus on the task at hand. It'd be better if Ritsu-_senpai_ was successful, she reasoned. Perhaps having the band become even closer through _that_ would make them a better band as well? She didn't know and yet she wanted it to happen so much, between her and Yui. Now was not the time, and when Azusa finally looked up, the replica of Olmec was dead ahead.

"R-Ritsu… what is that… thing, in front of us?" asked Mio shakingly, her grip on Ritsu's arm tightening to the point that it was cutting off circulation, causing the drummer to grimace in pain. "It l-looks like an ancient Mesoamerican statue."

"That's because that's what it is, Mio," said Ritsu, rubbing her arm, causing Mio to let go. "Oh my god I'm sorry Ritsu, is your arm okay?"

Suddenly, the deep voice of Dee Bradley Baker boomed from the speakers concealed within the replica of Olmec.

"**I am Olmec and our host for the evening is my good friend Kiiiiiiiirrrrkkkkk Foooooogggg!... And here he is noooooooooooooooow!**" came the hammy voice.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" screamed Mio, bolting away from the replica towards the right while Ritsu and Azusa scrambled to follow her, the former afraid that in her haste, Mio would injure herself. She would allow herself some small comfort in the fact that Mio was headed straight for the third and last stop during the test of courage.

"Azusa, I'll go on ahead," said Ritsu when she noticed that the _kouhai_ was struggling to keep up with her.

"G-go ahead Ritsu-_senpai_," panted the twin-tailed guitarist, at which Ritsu sped off as fast as she could to get right on Mio's heels.

x~~*~~x

"…and so dat's the idea, Catherine… I'm not yet ready fer another ladyfriend," slurred Sei as Sawako handed her a tall glass of water. Motoka was snoozing on the rocking chair in the room, an empty can of Carlsberg in her hands while Sawako was seated across Sei at the table. "I ain't ovah Shiori yet, even if I did like Mugi-chan. She's better off in yer hands."

Everything had worked flawlessly for the schoolteacher; she had signed Sei's posters on the condition that they have a drinking contest first.

"You're a hundred years too early to try and outdrink me," bragged Sawako when Sei began to feel the effects of intoxication.

And so, with these things set into motion, Sawako decided to question Sei about everything, adding a bit of flavor to the interrogation by taking on her Catherine persona to further elicit responses from the woman.

"It was all fer ya ter realize that ya liked her too," said Sei groggily, downing the glass of water. "Thanks, ya kind motherfucker. Ah wish ah could be like ya, but in the end, Mugi-chan fell in love with the right person."

Wordlessly, Sei slumped onto the table, beginning to snore. Sawako stood up, downed the last of her sixth beer in the past hour, and headed to the kitchen to find anti-hangover medicine for Sei, Motoka, and herself.

As she left the room and was left all alone in the immediate vicinity, she absorbed everything that Sei had told her. A smile appeared on her bespectacled face as tears began to flow from her eyes. "She really was a kind person after all," whispered the former rocker as she unashamedly wept.

x~~*~~x

Panting, Ritsu was trying her hardest to catch up with the bassist who seemingly acquired Sonic's sneakers in her fear. "Mio, wait for me!" shouted Ritsu as she gave chase, and finally, Mio stopped, causing Ritsu to pant in exhaustion.

"Tch, damn it Mio, when did you get so fast… Mio?" said Ritsu tentatively as she looked up and saw that they had arrived at the third and final spot for the test of courage.

"Ritsu-_senpai, _Mio-_senpai_, are you alright?" asked Azusa, panting heavily when Mio wordlessly turned towards Ritsu.

"Mio…?" repeated Ritsu, looking at the mannequin in the likeness of Nodoka hanging by its neck from the tree branch, a strobe light illuminating it every few seconds highlighting the thick-framed red glasses that were askew across the mannequin's face.

The bassist's footing grew slack and she fell towards Ritsu, who was not expecting it to happen. Mio's eyes were distant and yet they were locked onto one thing as the raven-haired girl's lips found the lips of the drummer.

"Oomph!"

Azusa could only watch as Mio fell on top of Ritsu onto the soft earth that was thankfully devoid of rocks, kissing the drummer as tears rolled down her eyes. Her hands were on Ritsu's shoulders, shuddering in fear at what she had just seen, afraid and looking for the person of her best friend, whom she had always looked to during these times.

"_S-senpai_," whispered Azusa quietly, watching the two on the ground before her eyes. She noticed a movement to her left, and saw a girl wearing a tank top and shorts with a black ski mask on her head. "_Mugi-_senpai…," thought the guitarist in amusement.

Ritsu broke away from the kiss, fearful that the status quo may have been irrevocably broken by this moment they had shared. Mio let up and kneeled on the earth, averting Ritsu's gaze.

"T-that was an accident, Ricchan," whispered Mio, her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. "I was just scared, and I don't know what came over me, honestly…"

_Liar._

"Say no more Mio… Stop crying now," said Ritsu, wiping the bassist's tears with her shirt. "I'm here, so no need to worry, alright?"

Bravely, the drummer pulled in Mio for a hug, and the raven-haired girl did not resist, for the only thing that was piercing her mind was one word.

_Liar._

x~~*~~x

_I'm leaving Mitsu's status completely ambiguous for now, just so you know._

_Ah, Legends of the Hidden Temple, childhood nostalgia! :p_

_Translation and lyrics of Fuyu no Hi are credited to animelyrics . com_

_Heh, alcohol as a plot point returns! _

_Read and review please, and hope to see you all around next time! :)_


	14. Troisième partiè: Kimi no Mama de

_Sorry for the delay guys; real life is pretty busy since it's the Christmas season. Here's the long overdue disclaimer._

_Disclaimer: __**I do not own K-ON!, kakifly, Kyo Ani and Pony Canyon do.**_

x~~*~~x

**Troisième partiè: Kimi no Mama de**

"Um, Mio-_senpai_, Ritsu-_senpai_…," tried Azusa tentatively. "S-Shall we go back to Mugi-_senpai_ and the others now?"

Ritsu looked up at Azusa while still cradling Mio in her arms, the bassist trying to wipe her tears while her arms were wrapped around her best friend.

"Mio, you heard Azusa. Let's go," said Ritsu encouragingly, surprising Azusa, who marveled at the maturity that Ritsu, _the_ Tainaka Ritsu, could exude on certain occasions.

Ritsu gently nudged Mio, who stood up and dusted her t-shirt, which was caked with dirt from the fall.

"Ritsu, let me get your back," said Mio, reverting to neutrality, ignoring the maelstrom of thoughts that were circulating through her head.

As Ritsu turned and let Mio dust her back, Azusa watched the latter carefully shaking her head for some unknown reason.

"_I don't know when I'll be able to be upfront with Ritsu about my feelings, but for now, I'll be a selfish liar and keep them to myself," _thought the raven-haired girl, realizing that with what she had done, she would have to come clean eventually. "_Am I really that afraid though, afraid enough to choose ambiguity over something concrete?_"

She was no good at hiding her emotions; Akiyama Mio was more of a person who wore her heart on her sleeve. It was only a matter of time until this happened, and the test of courage was the perfect catalyst for it.

Ritsu put her arm around Mio's shoulders and affectionately gave them a reassuring squeeze. The latter looked at the drummer and Ritsu just flashed her usual grin.

"Hey Azusa! Let's head back and let everyone know that the test of courage is over," called Ritsu behind her at the _kouhai_ who was standing in the middle of the clearing, vaguely looking up at the mannequin that so closely resembled Manabe Nodoka.

"O-Okay, Ritsu-_senpai_, I'll follow in a bit," called back Azusa, watching the two leave the clearing and head back towards the rest.

Azusa had decided to remain in the clearing to clear her thoughts. No one, not even Yui, Ui or Jun knew what Azusa was feeling deep down inside under the façade she had so carefully constructed for the occasion. She was, like so many other people before her and after her, simply putting up a front; appearing to look happy and cheerful so that people wouldn't worry about her.

Especially Yui.

"I really wouldn't want Yui-_senpai_ to worry about me," whispered Azusa to herself. "I pride myself on being reliable, able to stand on my two feet and generally not being troubling to anyone. And so that is what I shall continue to do."

"I'd done my best not to let Yui-_senpai_ get even so much as a whiff of what is really going on. Ui and Jun don't know either… Perhaps that's for the best. Who am I kidding, this is great!" exclaimed Azusa wildly, pacing in circles. "At least Mio-_senpai's_ radical fan club members aren't doing anything to Jun and Ui. Yes, yes, I should really take on this burden by myself. It's what I do best."

x~~*~~x

"_Ui, Jun, I'll go ahead while you guys talk to Sawako-_sensei, _alright?" said Azusa as she slung her Fender Mustang on her shoulder. "See you in a bit at the gates."_

"_Okay Azusa-chan, we won't be long," said Ui as Jun nodded at Azusa before turning to follow Ui out of the classroom._

_Making her way towards the stairwell, Azusa walked with her hands in her pockets, sighing at the additional strain that the bullies were putting on her. She was worried that it would escalate to a point where her studies would be affected as well. Ui convinced her that it was high time that a formal complaint was filed with Sakura High's disciplinary committee and she had relented, with Ui filing the complaint for her: that was why Jun and Ui went to see Sawako, so that they could get an update on the status of the complaint._

_She smiled though, taking solace in the fact that she would be going to Mugi's villa in two short days for the training camp and that she would be sleeping over at Yui's apartment tomorrow so that they could meet up with the rest together._

_As she reached the entrance hallway where the shoe lockers were located, she made way to her locker quickly to change from her indoor shoes to her outdoor shoes. When she had done so, she heard a voice calling her name._

"_Nakano-san, come quickly, we need your help," came the stolid voice._

_Azusa turned and saw one of her classmates._

"_Yes, what is it?"_

"_I need you to carry a table from the supply room to the audio-visual room for our presentation in Geography tomorrow. I thought that it'd be good if we went and did it now so that our presentation would go along smoothly tomorrow."_

_Azusa nodded and followed her classmate, who then raised her eyebrows and said, "Are you sure that you're going to lug your guitar around while lifting the table? Why do you even bring it anyway? The keionbu was disbanded, after all."_

"_I like to practice and play for myself every now and then," said Azusa, wisely deflecting attention from their upcoming concert at the Founder's Festival._

"_I see," said her classmate thoughtfully._

_When they had arrived at the supply room, Azusa entered the room idly thinking that she was probably holding Ui and Jun up._

_That's why she didn't see it coming._

"_Sorry," came the somber voice of her classmate._

"_Huh?"_

_Azusa spun around to face her classmate right as the door was shut, and to her horror, she heard the lock click into place._

"_Hey!" she screamed in consternation, rushing to the door to bang as loud as she could to attract the attention of any passerby. "Please unlock this door!"_

_She continued to bang on the door for a few minutes before giving up; no one had responded to her cries for help. She took her cellular phone out of her pocket and called Ui._

_Unfortunately, the supply room had thick walls and as a result, the call couldn't go through due to the lack of reception. Sighing in defeat, Azusa decided that she might as well just sit down. Turning, she made her way towards a director's chair and suddenly, her feet gave way like butter against a hot knife, slipping on a sheet of paper that she didn't notice earlier._

_***thump***_

_Azusa's insides ran cold and it was as though a roughshod staff had knocked the wind out of her when she heard the loud thump._

_With a feeling of impending doom, she carefully placed her Mustang on her lap and removed it from its case. She immediately looked at its base and to her horror, there was a sizeable ding at the very bottom of the guitar._

_Cursing her luck, she continued trying to call Ui or Jun up but alas, she wasn't able to get through to them. She was rescued about an hour later by Ui and Jun who had found out her last whereabouts from a student that had seen her enter the supply room._

_She balefully showed the dent on her beloved Fender Mustang to Ui and Jun, who were both incensed that someone had gone so far as to have her locked in a room to languish until someone opened the door._

"_I know a method that I could use to patch up the dent though, so I guess I'll be okay," said Azusa. Said method entailed wetting the dent, letting it dry then wetting it again to allow the water to sink into the wood. A cotton cloth is then dipped into water, and the wet area is pressed against the dent. The tip of a hot soldering iron is then pressed into the wet area while being rolled, thus inducing the dented area to expand outwards. The dent would still leave a mark, though it would now be even with the surface of the wood and it wouldn't be noticeable unless you were staring it in the face._

_That's what Azusa did that night when she got home. The method worked, but to her dismay, part of her Mustang's finish was a bit stained due to the steam that was emitted by the soldering iron. Making a mental note to have her guitar sanded and repainted in the near future, she went to bed, hoping that no one would notice the stained finish at the base of her guitar at the training camp._

x~~*~~x

"Azu-nyan?"

Azusa was sitting at the base of a tree, her head on her knees when Yui had arrived, looking for her.

"Oh, hello Yui-_senpai_," said the _kouhai_ weakly. What occurred next was something that she never saw coming.

"Azu-nyan, why didn't you come back with Mio-chan and Ricchan?" said Yui sternly. "Everyone was worried about you since you were the only one who hadn't gone back yet. That's why I volunteered to look for you and I find you here sitting under a tree?"

"I'm… sorry, Yui-_senpai,_" said the raven-haired guitarist for lack of anything else to say.

The stern look on Yui's face dissolved into a warm smile and she held her hand out to Azusa. "Come, Azu-nyan. Make sure to apologize to everyone when we get back, alright?"

The twin-tailed guitarist nodded and took Yui's hand. Yui pulled her up and the two made their way through the brush and undergrowth that presented a stark contrast to the clearing they had just left.

"Yui-_senpai_, I have a question," said Azusa thoughtfully. "Remember the tea party that we held for Mio-_senpai's_ fan club?"

Yui nodded and waited for her to continue.

"I really can't believe that some of those people are the very same people who're tormenting me now," she said with a note of sadness in her voice. "I really don't understand; Mio-_senpai_ definitely wouldn't approve of this, and yet…"

Yui, who had her hands behind her back, took Azusa's left hand in her right and squeezed it gently in reassurance. "You know, I think it's high time we really put a stop to this. Sawa-chan did say that the complaints were useless because there were so many possible culprits and alibis to check that the disciplinary committee couldn't handle the workload. Therefore, the only thing we can do is to have important people to the club put a stop to this. Nodoka-chan, possibly Sokabe-_senpai_ and Mio-chan herself."

"Yui-_senpai,_" whispered Azusa in amazement. Was this really the airhead she had fallen in love with so long ago?

"_It's like my dreams had really come true… I loved her despite the fact that she was so unreliable. Now… she's everything I could possibly want, and despite her improvement, she still is the Yui-_senpai_ I know and love…,_" thought Azusa wistfully.

"Don't worry about it, Azu-nyan. I'll go talk to Mio-chan and Sawa-chan about it when we get back. I'll send Nodoka-chan mail too, so keep smiling, okay?" said Yui with a bright smile on her face.

Azusa grinned back and she decided that there would be no more secrets between herself and Yui.

No more secrets. "_All I need to do is to tell her everything. How hard can it be?_"

x~~*~~x

"Sorry for worrying you all," said Azusa, bowing in apology to the rest of the girls, sans Sawako and Sei, who were both found by Mugi snoozing in the side room where they spent the entire test of courage drinking with Motoka.

Mugi giggled like a little girl when she saw the three women fast asleep in the room. "Should I feel bad that I feel more secure when Sei-san is knocked out…?" she whispered to herself. "I think I should move them to the game room… Misa-chan, Yoriko-san, a little help if you please!" she called to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, the two women were now snoozing under blankets on inflatable air beds in the game room while Motoka was supported by her colleagues and brought to their own room.

"I'll get back to you two later," whispered Mugi as she closed the door to the game room and went back to the dining hall where everyone was seated, chatting animatedly. "I've got a few things to ask Ricchan."

When she arrived there, she saw that the girls and Satoshi were divided into three groups. One group was _Okawari_ sans Azusa, another group was Yoshino, Yumi, Shimako and to her surprise, Yui, while the last group was Mio, Ritsu and Azusa, who was strangely content at observing the former two.

Mugi immediately noticed something between the drummer and bassist; Mio was avoiding Ritsu's eyes while the latter was cheerful as usual with her grin seeming to be much wider and more pronounced.

"_Something good happened, maybe…," _concluded the Kotobuki heiress. "Azusa-chan, could you come with me for a moment?"

Azusa blinked and snapped out of her reverie while Mio and Ritsu were engaging each other in what was overtly polite conversation. "Sorry, what did you require, Mugi-_senpai?_"

Mugi placed a finger on her lips and whispered, "Not here; follow me."

She beckoned the _kouhai_ to follow her to another side room and as they left, Yui gave the two of them a funny look before shrugging and resuming her conversation with Yoshino about which side of a chocolate cornet should be eaten first.

"Why so cryptic and innocuous, Mugi-_senpai?_" asked Azusa as she sat down on the oak chair in the small guest room.

Mugi sat across her on the small twin-sized bed adorned with a velvet cover and replied, "Tell me everything that happened."

Azusa nodded and she recounted the events that had transpired at the three critical locations of the test of courage; how the Flying Dutchman projection had flopped badly, and how the Olmec replica directly engineered the trajectory, so to speak, of Mio's encounter with the Nodoka-corpse.

She ended with her thoughts on the kiss, while Mugi's eyes glittered and she placed her hands on her face in happiness.

"Mio-_senpai_ really looked lost and afraid when she fell into Ritsu-_senpai's_ arms," said Azusa thoughtfully. "I never really could believe that Ritsu-_senpai_ could be a reliable figure, but then I guess I was proved wrong. I'd even say she was cool, with the way she handled the situation."

"Oh really Azusa? Thanks a lot!" came a voice as both Mugi and Azusa turned to the doorway, their eyes widening in fear.

"Oh Ricchan, it's just you," said Mugi, clutching her chest in nervousness, her voice exuding a tone of relief. "I was scared that Mio-chan might've overheard us."

"Please knock next time, Ritsu-_senpai!_" exclaimed Azusa indignantly as Ritsu laid down on the bed spread-eagled beside Mugi.

"Tell us about it, Ricchan," said Mugi as she stood up and locked the door, returning to her seat on the bed afterwards. "I'm not taking any chances."

Ritsu sat up on the bed and placed her hands on her knees, looking at her feet in silence, the blonde and raven-haired girl waiting in anticipation. "It felt… _good_. Really good," said the drummer finally. "I could feel something in the way Mio kissed me… I don't really know how to put it because I don't understand it, but it felt like she wanted to kiss me and yet didn't want to kiss me all at the same time. Some kind of barrier or restraint was there. I really don't know what that's all about but right now, due to that, I'm absolutely clueless as to where this leaves us."

"Ah ambiguity, the proverbial nemesis," said Mugi sagely. "I think you should wait for Mio-chan to make the move, Ricchan."

Ritsu scratched her chin thoughtfully and shrugged. "Please elaborate Mugi; why should I let her make the first move after this event?"

"Because one of two things will happen from this point onward," said Mugi thoughtfully, while Azusa listened intently. "Either the barrier you felt will get sturdier, or the barrier will dissolve and weaken. Only time will tell, to be honest, and at this point, it's dependent on Mio-chan's feelings, whatever they are."

"Okay Mugi, I trust you," said Ritsu. "For now, how should I act around Mio?"

"I think you should act the way you've always been," quipped Azusa. "Unless there's a better…" she trailed, shooting Mugi a look of deference.

Mugi smiled at the _kouhai_ and she replied. "Azusa-chan's right; you should act like the way you've always been around Mio-chan. After all, you two are perfect as foil for each other's personalities."

Ritsu stood up and said, "Alright then Mugi, I'll take your advice to heart. I better head back to her now; she'll be getting a lot of ghost stories from me."

"Ricchan, please tell everyone to get ready for bed and to proceed to the game room," added Mugi as Ritsu was about to close the door. "I'll stay here with Azusa-chan for a while; I need to talk to her about something."

Ritsu just raised an eyebrow in inquiry before shrugging and waving a hand airily at them as she closed the door.

Mugi then turned to Azusa, who spoke. "Mugi-_senpai_, what do you need to talk to me about?"

"Well, for starters, it appears that something is troubling you," said Mugi. "It's true that I might be wrong, but when you and Yui-chan got back and when I saw a hard line across Yui-chan's face instead of her usual smile, I thought that something was probably up."

Azusa swallowed and replied. "For starters, Mugi-_senpai_… I haven't really told you guys this, but the bullying hasn't really stopped. I never brought it up because it would be a poor conversational topic, but that's how it stands. Something happened to me the other day that just made me feel extremely scared, sad and I just… wanted to cry in somebody's arms, if I'll be perfectly honest."

"Does Yui-chan know about this?"

The raven-haired girl shook her head. "No, not even Yui-_senpai_ knows. Ui and Jun know part of it but not what I felt during the aftermath. It was two days ago when—"

She was cut off when Mugi placed a finger on her lips.

"I think Yui-chan should be the first to know, Azusa-chan. You are very important to her, and it would only be appropriate that you came to her with your problems," said Mugi. "Why didn't you tell Yui-chan about whatever happened?"

Azusa's shoulders slumped as she replied. "I didn't want to appear weak to Yui-_senpai_. You know, Mugi-_senpai_, that Yui-_senpai_ sees me as a reliable _kouhai _that is her plaything and hug pillow, correct?"

Mugi nodded while the twin-tailed girl continued. "I didn't want to lose that image she had of me. If I showed any form of weakness, I feel as if something will give; I don't know what it is but I wouldn't want anything to change."

Mugi audibly sighed and replied, "We seem to have the same issue at hand, Azusa-chan. Both of us don't want to show signs of weakness, covering it up so as not to worry them. But you know, though I may be a hypocrite for not practicing what I preach, I think it's best for you to just be honest with Yui-chan. No matter what happens, I'm sure she'll be there for you. I mean, she actually let you sleep over at her apartment for the first time last night; surely that must be something significant."

Azusa wryly thought about that; her little secret with Yui was that she had a key to her apartment and that she could practically visit any time.

"In the end, just rely on Yui-chan. I'm sure she'll be glad that you relied on her when you do, Azusa-chan. Nothing makes a person happier than the person they like relying on them for anything," said Mugi.

"But we're not even sure if she romantically likes me; sure, she uses me as a _dakimakura_ and stuff but there's nothing concrete," said Azusa skeptically.

Nothing could have prepared her for what she would witness next. Mugi got off the bed and laughed extremely hard; after a while, she was doubled over at the dresser, clutching her chest as she made her way towards the door.

Shooting Azusa one final look of amusement, Mugi said,

"You're so naïve, _koneko-chan_."

And then she left, leaving Azusa in the oak chair in front of the desk scratching her head in oblivious confusion.

x~~*~~x

"…so if it's not too much trouble, I want this to be done as soon as possible. Preferably right after we get back home from here, like say, tomorrow," finished Yui, who was seated on an air bed, talking to Mio.

Ritsu was on another airbed along with Yoshino, the two of them playing a series of competitive matches of _Marvel vs. Capcom_ _2_ on the Playstation two. Sei and Sawako were out and down for the count, while Shimako, Jun and Yumi all decided to turn in early. Azusa was taking a shower while Mugi was brewing some tea for the few people who were still awake. Ui and Satoshi were out on the porch, enjoying the view of the night sky.

"Have you informed Nodoka already?" asked Mio. Unbeknownst to Yui, Mio was extremely grateful, to say the least, for this favor she was asking. It was a good distraction from the storm brewing in her mind; her denial of what she truly wanted to tell Ritsu, the kiss that had happened an hour ago, and everything else in the package.

"I sent her a mail earlier but seeing that it's past my bedtime, I won't be expecting a reply from her until tomor— uh, later," chuckled Yui, noting that it was already one-thirty in the morning. "In any case, if it's okay with you and her and hopefully, Sokabe-_senpai_, we can call a meeting to finally end this tomorrow."

"Specifics, Yui?" asked Mio, intrigued by this overtly protective and serious side of Yui that she rarely saw.

"Hmm," said the brunette thoughtfully. "We need to use bait-and-switch tactics here. The meeting will be for 'an important announcement from Mio-tan'. Of course, they have no idea that they'll be reprimanded by you, Nodoka-chan, and Sokabe-_senpai. _I remember the tea party we held for them, Mio-chan. You even composed _Pure Pure Heart _and _Tokimeki Sugar_ for them, and this is the way they treat Houkago Tea Time's rhythm guitarist? They looked so sweet at the time, but it turns out some of them were bad apples."

Mio was aware of the increasing hardness and fury resonating through Yui's voice and she was so intrigued that she didn't even berate Yui for using the embarrassing nickname "Mio-tan" for her.

"Hello everyone, I'm back and I've got some freshly brewed jasmine tea for everyone still up," said Mugi bringing along a tray laden with teacups filled with the aforementioned jasmine tea, along with a teapot. Laying it on the floor between a few air beds, she began distributing the teacups to the people who were still awake.

"Oh yeah Mugi, what took you so long?" asked Mio, who had now mastered the art of "hiding emotional turmoil from everyone else".

"I checked up on Motoka-san in the maids' den; she drank too much again," said Mugi, sighing audibly. "I also caught Yuuichi-san as he was about to leave for Okinawa on his speedboat; I asked him if the security cameras in the house were all functional and he replied that they were so."

"Security cameras, Mugi?" asked Mio while Yui laid down on the air bed after draining her tea in a single gulp.

Mugi nodded. "Yup, Mio-chan. This villa, just like every other Kotobuki-owned building, is monitored by closed circuit televisions and security cameras. They're not in every single room though; we only have them monitoring the hallways, guest rooms, etc. Rooms such as my own or the master's bedroom aren't monitored for, uh, _privacy_."

Mugi blushed crimson red while Mio realized the implications of that statement. "Where are the cameras, Mugi-chan?" asked Yui who was still lying down on the air bed.

"I'm afraid it's a tad bit cliché, but…," trailed the ojou. "Do you see that portrait of Koizumi Junichiro on the wall by the entrance?"

Mugi pointed to a pastel portrait of the former prime minister on the wall. The bassist and guitarist nodded while the blonde continued. "His eye is where the camera lens is given a view of the room. My father was inspired by the omniscient eye of Alastor Moody, you see."

Yui stood up and left the game room, saying that she would be back shortly with Gitah, now leaving Mugi and Mio alone to talk in private – well, as private as it could possibly be, with Ritsu and Yoshino completely immersed in their gaming session.

"Mio-chan, how did you find the test of courage?" prompted the blonde, scooting a bit closer to Mio and giving her undivided attention.

"It was, uh, scary, obviously," said Mio, now feeling uncomfortable, not because of the scary things she had witnessed, but because of what had transpired between her and Ritsu. "In retrospect, the projection was pretty amazing though. It sounds like something from _Star Wars_, Mugi."

"Thanks a lot Mio-chan! Glad you appreciated the effects," said Mugi happily. "Can you imagine me as a _tokusatsu_ director in the future?"

Mio chuckled and replied, "You're actually more suited to be an actress, I think. It'd be cool if we became successful as a band, and each of us had their own individual professions. Like say, Yui would be a master chef, Ritsu would be the owner of a restaurant or a hotel's general manager, I would be a doctor, you'd be a businesswoman-slash-actress, and Azusa… I actually don't know what she'd like to do. We never really asked."

"Getting to the point, Mio-chan," continued Mugi as Yui returned with Gitah in her arms with Azusa in tow, drying her hair off with a towel. "How were things with Ricchan back at the test of courage?"

Mio gulped and answered in a slightly nervous voice, her eyes darting to Ritsu who was still playing Yoshino over at the PS 2. "W-Why do you ask?"

Mugi frowned as Yui and Azusa sat down beside the two of them on the same airbed, discreetly listening to the conversation while Ritsu screamed in triumph as she pulled off an infinite air combo with Magneto to Yoshino's dismay.

"Mio-chan…," said Mugi with an uncharacteristic hint of impatience in her voice. "Are you really going to keep this up?"

The bassist blinked. "Huh?"

Mugi snuck a glance at Ritsu, who finally stood up along with Yoshino, the two of them stretching their arms and legs after a lengthy gaming session. "Hey guys, I think I'm headed off to bed," said Ritsu, yawning. "Night guys."

Her eyes lingered on Mio for a while, and when Mio returned the gaze, Ritsu smiled and winked at the raven-haired girl before turning away and dropping onto her air bed where she was snoring within seconds.

"I'll turn in as well. Good night Tsumugi-san, everyone," said Yoshino politely as she followed Ritsu's lead albeit doing it in a slightly more dignified manner.

The keyboardist whistled and said, "How convenient. Azusa-chan, could you turn the lights off for me?"

The _kouhai_ nodded as she stood up and flicked the light switch, plunging the game room into semi-total darkness. The full moon was visible through the ornately decorated windows and it gave them enough light to see with.

"The moon's pretty tonight," said Yui wistfully, propping Gitah up on her knees. "Can I play a tune? I think everyone else is sleeping pretty soundly so I think it's okay… can I?"

Mugi, Mio and Azusa, who took her seat beside Yui on the air bed all nodded in unison as Yui began to strum a tune that exuded feelings of reassurance and relaxation. Mio, being the lyricist that she was, instinctively knew that the lyrics that accompanied this tune would be strong and powerful despite it being soft and relaxing.

Yui abruptly stopped strumming and put a hand behind her head in embarrassment. "Hehe, it's not done yet. Sorry guys," she said.

Mio shook her head. "It's okay, Yui. I'm sure Mugi and Azusa agree with me when I say that it's a beautiful song. Is this an original or a cover, because I don't think I've heard of it before."

"It's a cover, and I'm trying to do a guitar arrangement for it. The main melody is normally played with a keyboard, and I'm still trying to perfect it," said Yui.

"Who's the artist?" inquired Azusa.

Yui grinned a cat smile and pet Azusa gently on her head. "That's a secret for now, Azu-nyan~"

Azusa scratched her head, nonplussed as Mio stood up and bade the two of them good night, scooting over to the air bed beside Ritsu's. Despite what had happened, Mio found herself still craving the company of her best friend.

"I should go check on Satoshi-kun and Ui-chan," said Mugi, standing up and heading to the dining room towards the porch. "They might've fallen asleep out there and catch a cold as a result. I'll head back to sleep afterwards."

Yui and Azusa nodded as Mugi left. "Hey Azu-nyan," whispered Yui as she gently placed Gitah on the floor beside the air bed.

"What is it, Yui-_senpai?_" said the _kouhai_ as she felt Yui's arms encircle around her in a warm embrace.

"Mio-chan said that it's a go. I'm just waiting for Nodoka-chan's mail and hopefully a reply from Sokabe-_senpai_ as well. I'm going to put an end to this with their help," said Yui firmly, cradling the smaller girl in her arms.

"Yui-_senpai_… Thanks for everything," whispered Azusa into Yui's shoulders while the brunette caressed the loose tresses of her silky black hair. "You know… I didn't tell you this but…"

Azusa wriggled out of Yui's grip, earning a look of inquiry from the brunette. She stood up and left the room, returning five minutes later with her Fender Mustang and a flashlight. She sat down on the air bed beside Yui and trained the flashlight's beam at the base of her guitar where the dent was barely visible.

"How did that happen, Azu-nyan?" asked Yui in concern. "You take care of Muttan really really well… did something bad happen?"

Azusa lay down on the air bed, refusing to meet Yui's eyes. "Two days ago, I was locked in a supply room. I slipped on a sheet of paper and I fell on the floor, which was when Muttan got dented. I was up all night making the wood expand so that the dent would have an even depth with the rest of the wood. I'm going to have it resanded and repainted for it to look brand new. It's so inconvenient… Huh… Why are my eyes wet…?"

Before she knew it, she was sniffing and her eyes were brimming with tears. Yui got on all fours above her and gently came down onto her, hugging the raven-haired guitarist gently in her arms. "It's okay Azu-nyan, I'm here. I always will be here for you. I promised, remember?"

Azusa remembered the night of their graduation. It felt as though it had taken place so many years ago, in a far off time where life was much simpler for her. Things felt so different for her now, and yet Azusa knew that she could go on because of the one constant thing that bridged then and now: Hirasawa Yui, who had promised to be there for her.

Always.

"Yes, Azu-nyan, I will always be here for you. So it's okay, you can cry. It's okay to be weak at times too. Rely on your _senpai_ more," whispered Yui as she rolled to the side off of Azusa, her left arm lazily draped over the _kouhai's_ chest.

Yui could feel Azusa's chest gently heaving up and down in a rhythmic motion, her breathing calmly relaxing the brunette. "_This is the time for me to assume the role of _senpai_ for her, because this is when she needs me the most. I need to be there for her as a _senpai_ and not a lover for now…_"

Azusa gripped Yui's left arm in her right and sat up, eliciting a curious look from the brunette. When her eyes fell on Azusa's face, she saw how cute she really looked, the tears no longer streaming down her face. Her face was reddish, and she had a small smile on her face as the moonlight amplified her _moe_.

"Oh Azu-nyan, you're really cute," cooed Yui, sitting up and smiling warmly at her beloved _kouhai_.

Before she could process it, it happened. She felt a warm moist feeling on her cheek as the raven-haired girl kissed her quickly and gently. If she would judge the kiss, it was an embarrassed one. She turned to Azusa who refused to meet her eyes and she decided to test the waters to sate her curiosity.

"Azu-nyan, friendship kiss?" asked Yui softly, her brown orbs never leaving Azusa's form.

Silence, and then:

"…yes," came the soft reply.

The brunette smiled. "_I don't really mind because I'm content with the way Azu-nyan and I are right now._"

"Okay then. Good night, Azu-nyan. Sleep well. I promise things will be better soon," whispered Yui as she gently rolled over onto her belly, her right arm lying gently across Azusa's chest. To her surprise, Azusa rolled to her right and they were now face to face, their faces illuminated in the pale moonlight. The _kouhai _smiled warmly and replied,

"Good night, Yui-_senpai_."

x~~*~~x

The next day, Mugi woke everyone up at eight in the morning – Satoshi and Ui had fallen asleep at the porch, as she had predicted – and said that they would be leaving after lunch. They practiced until eleven in the morning and in between songs, Yui would always try strumming the tune she played for Mio, Mugi and Azusa a few hours ago in the early morning twilight. Sawako took note of this and recognized the song, but her eyes really widened when she realized _who_ the song's artist was.

"Her namesake, huh…," the teacher had mused. She noted that Yui had already perfected the guitar arrangement of the song right before lunch was served. "Good for you, Yui-chan," the _sensei_ said to herself. "If only I had the same courage you do…"

They all left after lunch, with Yumi, Yoshino, Shimako and Sei leaving separately from everyone else. Before they left, Sei discreetly shot Sawako a look that signified their understanding with each other. Both of them remembered everything that had transpired while they were inebriated.

Houkago Tea Time and _Okawari_ left at the same time, by way of two limousines courtesy of Mugi. Ui, Jun and Satoshi would head over to the Hirasawa household while Mugi, Mio, Yui, Ritsu, Azusa and Sawako would head over to Sakura High School.

Nodoka had sent her favorable reply to Yui earlier and said that she would meet them at the same room they had used for the tea party last year. Sawako was able to pull some strings for them to be able to use the room, saying that it would ultimately lead to the resolution of the mass bullying of Sakura High senior Nakano Azusa. The administration heartily agreed and elsewhere, the disciplinary committee emitted a collective sigh of relief at finally having the cases taken away from them.

Sokabe-_senpai's_ reply was not as favorable. She sent a mail to Nodoka saying that she wouldn't be able to make it, but she also attached a lengthy document to her message. She instructed them to read it out to the fan club members.

Two hours later, they were back in Shiga prefecture, at the gates of Sakura High. It was three in the afternoon when Houkago Tea Time, Yamanaka Sawako, and Manabe Nodoka had finished the preparations for the "tea party". All the fan club members were sent messages by both Mugi and Mio saying that there was an impromptu gathering called by Mio herself at the same room they used for the tea party last year.

When fifteen minutes past three struck, the doors opened and the members of Mio's fan club filed in and took their seats at the same tables that had been used before. As planned, Azusa would be backstage with Sawako and Mugi while Mio and Nodoka would mostly do the speaking. Yui and Ritsu would just stand beside them, providing support.

"It's nice to work with you guys again after so long, despite the unfortunate circumstances," whispered Nodoka to Mio as Ritsu called for the chatter to settle down.

"We appreciate it deeply, Nodoka," replied Mio. "We're doing this for Azusa after all."

Nodoka nodded and motioned for Mio to begin speaking. All of this would be adlibbed on Mio's end, and Ritsu just told her to "go with the flow and speak her mind".

"Good afternoon everyone, and thank you for coming to this impromptu meeting this afternoon," began Mio, standing beside Nodoka at the center of the stage, with Yui and Ritsu flanking on either of their sides. "I hope you have all been doing well and doing your best for your futures."

There were murmurs of gratitude from some of the members involving Mio's concern, while others noted that Mio seemed… changed. She didn't seem so unsure anymore as opposed to the time that they had the tea party.

She was surer of herself now, despite coming into this completely unprepared.

"_Because I'm doing this for a friend, and because Ritsu is there to support me… I can do this,_" she thought.

Mio then moved in for the first strike. "Since I've graduated though, I still have some… ears here at Sakura. I've been hearing that _some of you_—" she shot a piercing look that swept across the room. "—have been giving our rhythm guitarist, Azusa, a… hard time."

She ended that sentence with a sweet tone that was an uncanny impersonation of Dolores Umbridge. Even Ritsu felt as though a wave of cold had swept over the entire present populace.

"I'll be frank," continued Mio, her tone turning businesslike. "Whatever the hell else you guys have planned, knock it off. I get another whiff of this, and I won't acknowledge any of you anymore."

There were loud and audible gasps amongst the audience.

"I mean it," she said evenly, looking over at Nodoka. "Nodoka, please read the message to them from Sokabe-_senpai_."

"Actually," cut in Yui. "Mio-chan, Nodoka-chan, I want to read the message from Sokabe-_senpai_ to… _them._"

She pronounced the last word with clear distaste, and some of the fan club members flinched, now rattled that they had received the ire of two members of Houkago Tea Time.

Nodoka nodded and handed her cellular phone over to Yui, who began to crease her eyebrows in concentration.

"To all members of the Akiyama Mio-tan fanclub," began the brunette while the raven-haired bassist internally sighed at the embarrassing nickname bestowed upon her by Sokabe-_senpai_. "This is your former president, Sokabe Megumi. I've received word from Mio-san herself and my successor Manabe-san that most of you have been targeting the last remaining member of Houkago Tea Time, their rhythm guitarist Nakano Azusa-san."

Yui coughed, shooting the crowd a death glare that made some of the fan club members recede into their seats, the glare from Yui looking extremely at odds with her usual bubbly happy self.

"Now, I may not have known or met Nakano-san in person, but to be a member of Houkago Tea Time, she definitely must be a musician of the highest caliber. For any of you to insinuate that she was merely piggybacking on the talents of Mio-san, Yui-san, Ritsu-san and Tsumugi-san is sheer idiocy. Do you all sincerely believe that HTT would let a talentless guitarist into their band? No, surely not," continued Yui, feeling the anger rise in her, making her blood boil as she felt the disappointment being conveyed by Sokabe-_senpai's_ message.

"To those of you who actively took part in bullying her, I am very displeased with you. To those of you who don't know me, you better listen to me because I started this entire damn club in the first place. To those of you who remained indifferent and didn't act to stop their fellow members from tormenting Nakano-san, I am ashamed of you. Mio-san would've wanted you to stop them. Mio-san wouldn't want any of this. _I _don't want any of this. So heed my words now: stop what you are doing to Nakano-san," finished Yui, handing Nodoka's phone back to her.

The room was deathly quiet; even Sawako was surprised at the degree of disappointment in the message that the former student council president had issued to the fan club members. What she saw next made her, Nodoka and Azusa shit bricks.

"And personally," began Yui, the anger within her at total odds with her normal demeanor. "I don't know why any of you would do this. Azu-nyan, leeching off of me and Mio-chan's talent?"

A beat and then:

"That's bullshit."

The crowd gasped, unaccustomed to seeing Yui speak and talk and generally act like this. Mugi, Mio and Ritsu had seen this side of Yui once before, but Nodoka, Sawako, and Azusa never saw this side of Yui before. Nodoka most especially was caught off guard. Having known Yui since their kindergarten years, she never would've thought that Yui would one day be able to launch a tirade like this.

"Please. Azu-nyan is a better guitarist than I am. She's been doing it longer than I have. I ask her for tips all the time. She's a very vital member of the club and it disgusts me that you guys treat her that way out of jealousy."

A few people mumbled until Yui silenced them by raising her hand.

"Jealousy. That's what it truly was. Don't even bother denying it. You guys were probably wannabes who wanted to join but didn't have the guts to approach our clubroom two years ago and last year. So none of you have any right to do this to her. What did Azu-nyan ever do to you?" seethed Yui. "I'll tell you what she did: she helped us bring good music to all of you! This is how you repay her— no, us? I'm disgusted."

With that, Yui grabbed Gitah then stormed out of the room leaving all the occupants in the room in stunned silence. Azusa was the first to recover and she dashed out of the room as fast as she could, shouting "Yui-_senpai, _wait up!_" _as soon as she exited the room.

"Uh, that's what we wanted to say anyway," began Mio tentatively. "All of you, please lay off Azusa."

The fan club members all nodded; half of them were scared shitless by Yui's anger.

x~~*~~x

"Yui-_senpai! _There you are," panted Azusa as she found Yui sitting under a tree in the school's grounds, Gitah propped on her legs.

"Hello Azu-nyan," said Yui sweetly. "I did good, didn't I?"

Wordlessly, Azusa knelt down beside the brunette and hugged her. "Yes, Yui-_senpai_. You did very well. I appreciate it very very much."

After a while, Azusa broke off from Yui who scratched her head embarrassedly. "I really felt mad when I read Sokabe-_senpai's_ message. I shared her sentiments one-hundred percent, and then some."

"And then some?" repeated Azusa, raising an eyebrow in inquiry.

Yui smiled and replied. "Remember the tune I was strumming last night?"

Azusa nodded and Yui continued with a bright smile on her face.

"I perfected it. It's actually a song I've wanted to play for you for a long time."

Azusa smiled and said, "I'd like to hear it very much, Yui-_senpai_."

Yui nodded and she closed her eyes momentarily before opening them with a renewed vigor in them. "Here we go," she whispered.

x~~*~~x

_kimi wa kimi no mama de boku wa boku no mama de subete wakariaetara / While you're who you are and I'm who I am, if we can fully understand each other-_

x~~*~~x

_nando mo kisetsu wo kasaneta ne ano hi kara kyou made doumoarigatou / We've passed through many seasons; from that day to today, thank you so much_

_semai roji uramezashi shiroi iki ga odoru / Aiming for a narrow back-alley, our white puffs of breaths dance_

_itai kurai nigitta te wo hiite kimi wa susunde yuku / Pulling along my hand, which you gripped so tightly that it hurt, you head forward_

x~~*~~x

_imasugu kiss shitakatta kakureta jihanki no ura / I wanted to kiss you right away as we hid behind the vending machine_

_hanikande mitsumeatta yasashii KIMOCHI afureta / We looked at each other shyly and tender feelings overflowed_

x~~*~~x

_kimi wa kimi no mama de boku wa boku no mama de subete wakariaeta nara / While you're who you are and I'm who I am, if we can fully understand each other_

_futari wa hitotsu da yo / Then the two of us will become one_

_donna chiisana shiawase mo mitsukedaseru kigasuru yo / No matter how small happiness is, I feel like I can find it_

_yasashiku nareta no wa kimi no okage / I was able to become kind, thanks to you_

x~~*~~x

_kami wo kitte mo MEIKU wo kaete mo kizuite kurenai kimi dakedo / Even if I cut my hair, even if I changed my make-up, you wouldn't take notice_

_nayandeiru kao wa sugu ni wakarunda ne / But you'd understand my troubled face immediately_

_"Doushita?" tte yasashiku sareru to naketekichau kara / Because you'd say "What's wrong?" kindly to me and it makes me cry_

x~~*~~x

_utsumuite hiza kakaeta tonari ni kimi ga iru kara / I hung my head and hugged my knees; because you're next to me_

_konna hi wa nakimushi de yokubari na watashi de ireru yo / On a day like this, I can be greedy and a crybaby_

x~~*~~x

_kimi wa kimi no mama de zutto kawaranai de toki wo koeta mirai demo / While you're who you are, please don't ever change, even in the future beyond time_

_futari wa hitotsu da yo / The two of us will become one_

_yakusoku nanka nakute mo shinjiaeru kigasuru yo / Even if there's no promise, I feel like we can believe in each other_

_tsuyoku nareta no wa kimi no okage / I was able to become strong, thanks to you_

x~~*~~x

"Hey guys, what about Yui and Azusa?" inquired Ritsu as they headed to the gates of Sakura High.

Mugi glanced over at the tree where Yui was playing a song for Azusa, singing while she strummed.

"I think they'll be okay. Let's go!" she said.

x~~*~~x

_imasugu dakishimetakute kogoesou na ashi wo tome / Wanting to embrace you right away, I halt my freezing feet_

_kasanatta mune no oku konna ni mo attakai yo / Deep in my chest pressed against yours, it's so warm even like this_

x~~*~~x

_kimi wa kimi no mama de boku wa boku no mama de subete uketomerareta / While you're who you are and I'm who I am, if we can accept everything_

_donna chiisana shiawase mo donna chiisana yorokobi mo / No matter how small happiness is, no matter how small joy is_

_kanjirareru no wa kimi no okage / I can feel them, thanks to you_

x~~*~~x

As Yui finished, Azusa clapped and looked at Yui, her eyes brimming with tears. "I bet you're going to say that it's no good again," said Yui with a light chuckle.

Azusa shook her head and sniffed. "N-No, Yui-_senpai… _It's beautiful… What's the title of the song?"

"_Kimi no Mama de_," replied Yui simply. "The artist who sang this song shares your name, Azu-nyan."

Azusa felt like her heart had stopped. It was as if all the torment she had gone through was millennia behind her now. She was in heaven right now, bliss seeping through the entirety of her being.

"…Azusa?" asked the raven-haired girl, wiping her eyes with her arms.

Yui nodded simply and set Gitah on the grass beside her. She leaned towards Azusa and to her satisfaction and surprise, Azusa didn't shy away; she merely stared at Yui with a warm smile on her face, the tears beginning to pool once more.

"Azu-ny—no, Azusa…," whispered Yui softly. "I love you and want to be with you for as long as I live."

Wordlessly, Azusa's lips met Yui's and they kissed a warm and tender kiss. No, this was no friendship kiss. This was a kiss that exuded romantic love between the two of them. It was their first true kiss as a couple, and one that they would remember for the rest of their lives.

When they finally broke apart, Yui just chuckled and put a hand behind her head in embarrassment.

"You know what, Yui-_senpai?_" she whispered.

"What is it, Azusa?" came the reply.

"I've been waiting for you to say that to me for the longest time," said Azusa as she leaned in towards Yui and kissed her again, her arms encircling the brunette's body. Their tongues danced with one another, and when they finally broke apart, both of them were gasping for breath.

"We're not exactly good at this yet," said Azusa sheepishly as she leaned against Yui's chest.

"Don't worry. We've got a lot of time to practice," said Yui as she caressed the loose tresses on Azusa's face.

"I love you so much, Yui-_senpai_," whispered Azusa as she took Yui's right hand in her own.

"Me too, Azusa. Me too," said the brunette simply as they lay there and watched the wonderful afternoon sun charge across the sky, a simple reminder that the next time they would see it rising in the east, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

x~~*~~x

_So there you have the end of the training camp arc. Azusa being bullied is finally concretely resolved and YuiAzu has been consummated._

**_Kimi no Mama de_**_ (Stay Who You Are) is the second opening theme of the anime **Amagami SS**, sung by JPop artist **azusa.**_ _Lyrics from animelyrics . com_

_1/3 pairings down. See you next time and Merry Christmas in advance! :)_


	15. Interlude:Of Hirasawa Yui & Nakano Azusa

_Hey guys, sorry for the long delay. School has started again and it's getting busy so I can't promise any regular updates._

_Here's my shortest update as of yet, as exams are next week._

x~~*~~x

**Interlude: Of Hirasawa Yui & Nakano Azusa**

After having dinner with her girlfriend that evening, Yui took a shower and Azusa phoned her parents and asked permission if she could stay over that evening at Yui's apartment. Her parents replied favorably and Azusa was practically glowing when she ended the call.

While the brunette guitarist was showering, Azusa surveyed the room and began entertaining thoughts of adding a bit of her personal flair to the place. She did assume that she would be coming over much, much more often and she thought that leaving a few more personal items wouldn't hurt. Of course, she would check with Yui but she had confidence that the brunette would acquiesce to her requests.

Azusa sat on Yui's bed and traced the sheets with her small palms. Small palms that would eventually grow used to holding hands with Yui's. Two callused hands, brought together by their craft and by their love for each other. Azusa smiled and listened to Yui singing to _U&I_ while she was showering.

"If anyone had told me two years ago that Hirasawa Yui would become my girlfriend, I'dve probably stared daggers at them," whispered Azusa, giggling.

The black-haired girl lay back down on Yui's bed, smiling contentedly. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

x~~*~~x

"_How can I calm down?" Azusa nearly screamed in frustration while Ritsu, Mio, and Mugi were growing more and more nervous by the second._

_Mio had feared when this day would come. They had finally driven Azusa away from the club with their complacency, laziness, and penchant for appearing to be unproductive. She had tried to convince everyone to shape up to appeal to the good work ethic of their newest club member but to no avail. Especially that idiot Ritsu._

"_You guys never practice! All you do is sit around all afternoon munching on cakes, chatting, and generally being unproductive. No offense to the cakes themselves, Mugi-_senpai_, as they were really good, but that's not what I was expecting and hoping for when I signed up to join the Light Music Club," the _kouhai _ nearly screamed._

_Without warning, Yui bounded towards Azusa from behind and encompassed her in a warm hug, rubbing the younger girl's head._

"_Good girl, good girl," cooed Yui, feeling Azusa's tension disappear almost instantly in her arms._

"There's no way that could possibly calm her down,_" thought Mio in indignation. "_Wait… she actually calmed down._"_

x~~*~~x

"_Come on Azu-nyan, eat up!" cooed Yui as she and the rest of Houkago Tea Time sat on a picnic blanket in the park._

"_Have some cake, Azusa-chan," said Mugi, offering the black-haired girl a small plate with a slice on it._

_Mio looked uncertain at the club's obvious attempts to placate the _kouhai's_ anger when suddenly Ritsu stuffed a _taiyaki_ into Azusa's mouth, saying "Azusa, have some of this!"_

_Mio finally snapped and screamed "You guys, what do you think you're playing at?"_

_To her immense surprise, Azusa wordlessly ate the _taiyaki_ that had been unceremoniously stuffed in her mouth and began smiling contentedly, as though she was glittering in happiness._

"_Uh, you like _taiyaki?_" asked the bassist uncertainly as Yui, Ritsu, and Mugi looked on expectantly._

_The twin-tailed girl wordlessly nodded, a content look plastered on her face._

x~~*~~x

"_Azu-nyan, say 'ahh!'" cooed Yui as she stuck a fork with a piece of strawberry shortcake on it out to Azusa, who was practicing with her Fender Mustang._

_With Yui's arms around her shoulders, the younger girl relented and partook of the cake. Her lips curled upwards once more into a contented smile, and she marveled the power that the Kotobuki pastries had over all of them. "_Maybe this is why Yui-_senpai_ and Ritsu-_senpai_ love eating cake so much,_" thought the raven-haired girl._

"_Azusa-chan, here's your personal cup," quipped Mugi, who was handing a pink tea cup decorated with a cat on the side and whose handle resembled the tail of a cat. "_I'm sooo glad I had this cup custom made for Azusa-chan,_" thought the blonde._

_Azusa took the cup of tea gratefully and downed it in one gulp, involuntarily sighing in content. She came to her senses however, in a manner not dissimilar to a rude awakening._

"This is bad! I'm falling into their pace,_" internally moaned Azusa._

x~~*~~x

"_So the cake isn't to your taste?" said Yui sadly, facing away from Azusa, who half-heartedly stepped forward but decided not to refute Yui's statement._

_Turning, the brunette noticed what Azusa was doing and held the cake out to Azusa, whose lips turned up into a content smile, expectant at being fed. She drew the cake towards herself and to her amusement, Azusa's smile disappeared as instantly as it came. She held the cake out towards the _kouhai_ again, and upon seeing her smile, she drew it back to herself, the smile falling off of Azusa's face in an instant._

_The brunette began to blush while whispering, "This is fun."_

x~~*~~x

"_Azusa?_" _asked Mio worriedly, noting how quiet and nervous their rhythm guitarist was._

"_Please don't go," muttered Azusa quietly, unable to face her four graduated _senpai.

"_Azusa?" repeated Ritsu._

"_I'll stop bugging you about cleaning the club room and slacking around and having tea…" whispered the _kouhai_, feeling weak at her knees. "Just please… don't leave me."_

_The tears began to form in Azusa's eyes as she finally realized just how important the four of them had been to her. If they left, she would be forced to face the prospect of being the Light Music Club's president all by herself._

_She could contain her feelings no longer and she knelt on the floor in despair, crying and wailing like a child whose balloon had flown up into the sky, never to be seen again. Immediately, Yui bolted from her seat at the table and ran towards Azusa._

"_Azu-nyan!" exclaimed Yui worriedly, since she had never before seen Azusa like this._

"_I'm sorry," uttered the raven-haired guitarist amidst tears. "But…"_

"_What happened to your forehead?" asked Yui, cutting her off._

_Yui's eyes widened when they saw the mark on Azusa's forehead, the bandage having come off partly when she rubbed the tears from her eyes._

"_Did you hurt yourself?" came the worried voice of Tsumugi._

"_Did you run into something?" asked Mio tentatively._

"_Yeah," forced Azusa. "Even though it's your graduation… Even though it's a happy day…"_

_She stifled another sob and continued._

"_I have bandages for that," said Yui as she took bandages from her bag, leaving the stickers she had been putting on everyone sometime ago on the floor beside a notebook she had taken out of her bag._

"_I'm sorry," apologized Azusa once more. "I really didn't want to cry… I wanted to be strong, to be able to send you all off with a smile on my face…"_

_She took a deep breath._

"_But I'll be fine. I'll do my best to continue the club and… Ton-chan's going to be with me."_

_Yui took the notebook and extracted a photograph from it. "This is for you, Azu-nyan."_

_With trembling hands, the _kouhai_ accepted the photo. "It's a picture of the four of us back in our freshman year," said Yui. "We're younger than you are right now by a year in the photo. This is for you as well."_

_The brunette handed a _sakura_ to Azusa, and Mugi's prominent eyebrows rose as far as they could when she recognized that it was the same _sakura_ that Yui plucked out of the hallway on the opening ceremony earlier that year. "It's got five petals, one for each of us here."_

_The symbolism and feelings of her _senpai_ weighing down on her heart, Azusa began to tear up again._

"_That's not fair Yui, you're stealing the spotlight again!" exclaimed Ritsu while Mugi seconded that notion._

"_Azusa, the four of us want you to listen to a song," said Mio as Ritsu glomped her best friend in indignation at stealing the emotional spotlight._

"_We wrote it just for you, Azu-nyan," said Yui as Mugi mock complained._

"_Hey, that was my line, Yui-chan!"_

_Azusa chuckled at how silly her _senpai_ were being, when Yui gestured for her to sit on the couch as they began to set the instruments up for their performance._

_Ritsu tapped her drumsticks together three times and at the third, the four of them simultaneously began to play a slow song, a song that seemed to express sorrow and happiness all at the same time._

x~~*~~x

_nee omoide no KAKERA ni / Hey, if we could put our names_

_namae wo tsukete hozon suru nara / On a piece of our memories and preserve it_

_"Takaramono" ga pittari da ne / Wouldn't that be the perfect "treasure"?_

x~~*~~x

_Hearing Yui's voice, Azusa remembered all the other times that she had spent with the brunette that she had grown to love. Their time at the summer training camps, Natsufest, hugs every time Yui calmed her down, and everything else._

x~~*~~x

_sou KOKORO no youryou ga / Right, These excitement-colored days_

_ippai ni naru kurai ni / That have passed have filled our hearts_

_sugoshita ne tokimeki iro no mainichi / To their full capacity_

x~~*~~x

_The vocals fluidly transitioned to Mio, and Azusa then remembered all the times she spent with the bassist. She remembered seeing Houkago Tea Time's first concert, that infamous moment that had Mio lose her dignity and gain a fan club at the same time. She remembered cutting the cake at the Mio-tan fan club's tea party with Mio, both of them mortified at the reactions of the audience and the other club members._

_She had always remembered looking up to the bassist as a role model, for her professionalism, work ethic and skill. "_If only I didn't grow to love Yui-_senpai_ after all this time, I wonder what could have been…,_" mused the _kouhai_ as the vocals then transitioned fluidly to Ritsu, taking her by complete surprise._

x~~*~~x

_najinda seifuku to uwabaki / The familiar uniforms and indoor shoes_

_HOWAITOBOODO no rakugaki / The doodles on our whiteboard_

x~~*~~x

_She remembered being put in a headlock by Ritsu, their moments of humor and chiding the drummer to get off her ass and work if Mio wasn't doing it for her. The doodles on their whiteboard reminding them of their goal to play at Budokan someday. Tainaka Ritsu may be a slacker at times, but when her switch is flipped on she can be a force to be reckoned with._

x~~*~~x

_ashita no iriguchi ni / I guess we have to leave them behind_

_oite kanakucha ikenai no kana / At the entrance to tomorrow_

x~~*~~x

_She would never forget that day when Mugi had asked to be taught how to play guitar. It was interesting, as she had never been alone with the blonde before and she eventually relaxed in her presence, taking on a slightly authoritative role as teacher. Mugi wanted simple things in life despite her affluence, and Azusa wanted to help her out in that department._

x~~*~~x

_demo ne, aeta yo! suteki na tenshi ni / But hey, we met one! A wonderful angel_

_sotsugyou wa owari ja nai / Graduation isn't the end_

_kore kara mo nakama dakara / We're buddies from here on out!_

_issho no shashintachi / Pictures of us together_

_osoro no KIIHORUDAA / Our matching keychains_

_itsumademo kagayaiteru / Will shine on forever_

_zutto sono egao arigatou / And always, we thank you for your smile_

x~~*~~x

_She remembered them coming back from their field trip to Kyoto, laden with keychains for each of them, keychains that spelled "Keionbu." It was a mark of their friendship that they wanted to last forever, as the song was exclaiming through the power of music._

x~~*~~x

_eki no HOOMU kawara no michi / The platform at the station, the path by the riverside_

_hanaretete mo onaji sora miagete / Even if we're apart, we can look up at the same sky_

_YUNIZON de utaou! / And sing in unison!_

x~~*~~x

_She remembered the night of Natsufest, when they all lay together on the grass under the bright starry sky, talking about the cool bands, their strong music and powerful spirit that had affected them so. How Yui had exclaimed that they were better because of the aura they exuded as a band, how they pledged that they would return, someday, as performers and not as spectators._

"_It'd be amazing if we could continue playing together," said Yui._

x~~*~~x

_demo ne, aeta yo! suteki na tenshi ni / But hey, we met one! A wonderful angel_

_sotsugyou wa owari ja nai / Graduation isn't the end_

_kore kara mo nakama dakara / We're buddies from here on out!_

_daisuki tte iu nara / If you say you really love us_

_daidaisuki tte kaesu yo / We'll answer that we really, really love you!_

_wasuremono mou nai yo ne / There's nothing else we've forgotten_

_zutto eien ni issho da yo / We'll be together forever and ever!_

x~~*~~x

_The final concert they had, where they had played the song that Yui had dedicated to Ui. She would never forget the aftermath of that moment, when all of them expressed the desire to continue playing together as Houkago Tea Time. It was a promise they all shared, a promise that went far beyond just being a band._

x~~*~~x

Azusa woke with a start when she felt the weight on the bed shift slightly. She looked to her side groggily and saw Yui sitting on the bed, staring at her in inquiry.

"Bad dream, Azu-nyan?" replied Yui softly. The lights were out and when Azusa took her phone out of her pocket and glanced at it, she realized that she had been asleep for two hours. Yui didn't disturb her and consequently, prepared for bed and did everything else while she was down for the count.

"Not at all, Yui-_senpai_," replied Azusa. "For the record," she continued, noticing how Yui reverted to calling her "Azu-nyan", "I like being called 'Azu-nyan', but only by you, Yui-_senpai_."

Yui giggled and replied, "I know. So, what did you dream about?"

At that question, Azusa smiled a radiant smile.

"Old memories, promises, and goals for the future. Your graduation day among others," said Azusa, leaning into the brunette's arms. Yui gently let Azusa lean on her shoulder while her arms encompassed the younger and smaller girl in front of her.

"We were right in the end, Azu-nyan," whispered Yui into the raven-haired girl's ear, resisting the urge to nibble on it gently.

"Right about what, Yui-_senpai?_" came the reply.

Yui smiled despite Azusa not being able to see her and replied softly.

"That graduation isn't the end, and that we'd be friends forever."

Azusa turned to face Yui with a small smile on her face.

"Of course, Yui-_senpai_, we're more than friends, aren't we?"

Yui nodded as she leaned down towards her girlfriend for a gentle kiss. "Good night, Azu-nyan. Summer has only started. We have lots of time ahead of us, right?"

Azusa nodded as the two of them separated, and then lay back down on the bed, fluffing their pillows. "That we do, Yui-_senpai_. Thank goodness for small blessings."

Yui faced her as she lay down on the bed, replying as her arms snaked around the _kouhai _once more.

"You're my small blessing, Azu-nyan."

x~~*~~x

_This chapter isn't as long as I might've liked, but I'm going to be busy and am suffering from writer's block on top of that. I'm not sure when the next update will come, so for now, I hope you liked this chapter and I await reviews and comments for improvement and such. :)_


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